CAF strips Senegal of CAN 2026 title, awards it to Morocco after final chaos

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has made a stunning decision, stripping Senegal of its CAN 2026 title and awarding it to Morocco following chaotic incidents during the final on January 18. The federation announced the move through an appeal ruling two months after the controversial match.

Senegal denounces an “unjust” ruling

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) expressed outrage in an official statement on March 17, calling the decision “unjust, unprecedented, and unacceptable,” which it believes tarnishes African football’s integrity. The FSF confirmed it would immediately file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The CAF’s appeal jury ruled that Senegal forfeited the final after players left the pitch in protest during a highly contentious match. The original 1-0 victory (after extra time) for the Lions of Teranga was overturned, with the result officially recorded as a 3-0 win for Morocco.

Social media erupts with reactions

Outrage spilled onto social platforms, where Senegalese players, including defender Moussa Niakhaté of Olympique Lyonnais, shared images of themselves holding the trophy with defiant captions. Niakhaté’s post on Instagram — “Come and get them! They’ve lost their minds!” — sparked a wave of similar responses from teammates.

During the final in Rabat, Senegalese players temporarily abandoned the field after an officiating decision sparked controversy. A disallowed goal for Senegal was followed by a controversial penalty awarded to Morocco in stoppage time. After a 15-minute delay, confusion escalated into chaos as Senegalese fans threw objects and attempted to storm the pitch. Moroccan winger Brahim Díaz later missed the decisive penalty.

A decision rooted in regulations

The CAF justified its ruling under Articles 82 and 84 of the CAN Regulations, which state that any team refusing to play or leaving the field before the match concludes is deemed to have forfeited and is eliminated from the competition. The decision was made following an appeal filed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), which emphasized it sought only the application of the regulations, not to challenge sporting merit.

A previous case in 2019 saw Espérance Sportive de Tunis declared winners of the CAF Champions League after Wydad Casablanca players walked off the pitch protesting a VAR malfunction. While the final result wasn’t overturned, both federations faced heavy fines for unsporting behavior and fair-play violations.

Meanwhile, legal proceedings against 18 Senegalese supporters, jailed since the final and sentenced to 3 months to 1 year for “hooliganism,” have been postponed until March 30.