Afcon final chaos – key questions answered

The already chaotic story of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final had another chapter added when the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the result.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January, but that scoreline has been officially changed to a 3-0 victory to Morocco as a result of several Senegalese players walking off the pitch in protest during the match.

With the score 0-0 in the eighth minute of stoppage time in Rabat, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty for a challenge by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim Diaz.

Moments earlier, Ndala had ruled out a Senegal goal.

After the penalty was given, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw encouraged his team to leave the field in protest, with only Sadio Mane remaining.

The match was paused for 17 minutes, during which Mane encouraged his team-mates to return.

When they did, Diaz’s Panenka-style penalty was easily saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy – and the match went to extra time, when Pape Gueye scored Senegal’s winning goal.

During the match, there were clashes between Moroccan ball boys and Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf, as he repeatedly attempted to prevent them from stealing Mendy’s towel from next to the goal.

Caf’s appeal board released a statement on 17 March – almost two months after the final – announcing Senegal would forfeit the match and Morocco would be declared 3-0 winners after an appeal from the Moroccan Football Federation.

The appeal board is made up of nine people – a president, vice-president and seven other members.

They are all from different African nations, with Morocco and Senegal not currently represented.

The appeal board statement said Senegal has contravened articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations.

Article 82 states that if a team “leaves the ground before the regular end of the mach without the authorisation of the referee”, they are eliminated.

Article 83 states that a team “not present at the ground” on time for a match will also forfeit.

Article 84 states a team contravening articles 82 and 83 will be removed from the competition.

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has said it will appeal against the verdict – describing the decision as “a travesty”.

Abdoulaye Seydou Sow – secretary general of the FSF – said the organisation would lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in Switzerland.

An independent panel of accredited arbitrators will then review the case.

There has not been an announcement on whether Morocco will have their own trophy ceremony.

There are also questions about what will happen to the winner’s medals that were handed to Senegal players in January, and the tournament prize money.

Several members of the Senegal team have posted pictures of their medals on social media since the result was overturned.

“What do you do?” Hack said on BBC World Service. “Call all the players back and say: ‘Please give your medal back… please give your prize money back… I want to give it to somebody else.’

Questions have also been asked about what betting companies will do – and whether people who backed Morocco will have their bets honoured.

The statement from Caf also included these other decisions arising from the final:

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has provided a short statement claiming “its approach has never been intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition’s regulations”.

An updated statement is expected on Wednesday.

The Senegalese government, meanwhile, called for an “independent international investigation” into “suspected corruption” at African football’s governing body.

BBC Sport has contacted Caf for comment.

The FSF had earlier denounced the “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision, which casts a shadow over African football”.

It said the appeal to Cas was essential to “defend its rights and the interests of ⁠Senegalese football”.