The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) is continuing its legal battle against the African Football Confederation (CAF) and the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) following the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, which was won by Senegal. Despite the initial rejection of its complaint, the FRMF announced on Tuesday that it has officially appealed the sanctions issued by the CAF Disciplinary Committee. Morocco is still demanding Senegal’s forfeit and continues to contest the victory of the Lions of Teranga.
Determined to assert its rights, the FRMF is pursuing legal action regarding the outcome of this final held on its own soil. In a statement, the Moroccan body indicated that it has filed an appeal “to preserve all the rights guaranteed to it by law.” It believes that the decisions made so far do not adequately consider the seriousness of the incidents that occurred during this decisive match of the tournament.
The Moroccan federation bases its approach on alleged violations of articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations. It argues that the final was marred by serious incidents, such as the withdrawal of Senegalese players and staff from the field, the invasion of the pitch by Senegalese supporters, and the violent clashes that followed. According to the FRMF, these events should have led to harsher sanctions, including Senegal’s disqualification.
To justify its position, the FRMF cites the regulatory texts. Article 82 states that a team that withdraws from a match, refuses to play, or leaves the field before the end without the referee’s permission must be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition. Article 84 specifies that the offending team loses the match 3-0, unless the opponent is leading by a larger score at the time of the interruption, and it may also be permanently excluded from the competition, in addition to other possible sanctions.
However, the CAF Disciplinary Committee did not accept this interpretation. It rejected the FRMF‘s claim, stating that there were no proven violations of articles 82 and 84 by the FSF during the AFCON 2025 final. Nonetheless, individual and financial sanctions were imposed on both teams. Senegalese coach Pape Thiaw was suspended for five matches and fined $100,000. Players Ismaïla Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye received two-match suspensions each, and the FSF was fined $615,000 for various infractions, including the behavior of supporters, the conduct of players and staff, and the accumulation of yellow cards. Sanctions were also taken against Moroccan players: Achraf Hakimi was suspended for two matches, one of which is suspended, and Ismaël Saibari for three matches. Additionally, fines of $315,000 were imposed for various offenses, including the use of lasers and the invasion of the VAR area.
The FRMF believes these sanctions are insufficient and do not match the severity of the events that occurred during the final. In an official letter to the CAF president, the Moroccan federation emphasizes that “the sanctions imposed are not proportional to the gravity and danger of the events” that marked the match. Morocco remains firmly convinced that the conditions under which the match took place justify a challenge to the final result.
Although Senegal has not appealed the sanctions against it, the FRMF chooses to continue the legal process. This new step could reignite discussions around the AFCON 2025 final, even though, for now, Senegal’s victory remains officially validated by the relevant authorities.
