Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomoye Faye has displayed the AFCON trophy in his office amid controversy over the Senegal-Morocco final, after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Senegal of the title and awarded it to Morocco.
His updated profile picture comes as debates rage over the tournament’s outcome, signalling defiance of reports confirming Morocco as champions.
Senegal had won 1-0 after extra time but controversially left the field in protest after hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty, which delayed the game by 17 minutes.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe reaffirmed his commitment to respecting decisions by independent committees, which are central to the governance of African football.
“I’ve been informed of the ruling by the CAF Appeal Board concerning the appeal by Morocco relating to the Afcon-Morocco 2025 final match. I previously expressed my extreme disappointment with the incidents that took place at the final match,” Motsepe said.
CAF cited Senegal’s breach of Article 82 of the AFCON regulations, which states that if a team refuses to play or leaves the field before the end of regulation time without the referee's authorisation, it will be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition.
Senegal is preparing to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, seeking to form a panel to assess whether it has grounds for an appeal.
On the pitch, Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0, but officially, the record books list Morocco as 3-0 winners, marking the first time the North African nation has claimed the African crown since the 1970s.