AFCON 2025: Morocco Set To File Petition to CAF After Losing Final 1:0 to Senegal
- The Moroccan Football Federation is planning a formal petition to CAF after losing the AFCON 2025 final
- The Moroccans are aggrieved after the Senegal players chose to walk off the pitch after a late penalty call
- Senegal won the chaotic AFCON 2025 final 1-0 over Morocco after an extra-time goal from Pape Gueye
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The Moroccan Football Federation is set to file a formal petition to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following their painful loss to Senegal in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
The final will be remembered as one of the most dramatic in recent history.
Source: Getty Images
As reported by BBC Sport, Senegal defeated hosts Morocco 1-0 in Rabat at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Pape Gueye’s extra-time strike sealed the title for the Teranga Lions.
The match reached fever pitch when Senegal players briefly walked off the pitch after referee Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty, minutes after disallowing a Senegal goal.
Sadio Mane, the experienced Senegalese forward, urged his teammates to return, and their composure paid off with Gueye’s decisive strike.
Brahim Diaz’s missed penalty compounded Morocco’s heartbreak.
Tasked with ending a 50-year wait for a second AFCON title, Diaz opted for a cheeky chip down the middle, only for Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to make an embarrassingly simple save.
Despite Morocco’s subsequent pressure, including Nayef Aguerd’s header hitting the bar, Senegal held on to secure victory.
Morocco prepares formal petition to CAF
In response to the controversial events, the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) is preparing a formal petition to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Africa Soccer reports.
Source: Getty Images
The complaint centres on the withdrawal of several Senegalese players from the field during the penalty award.
Morocco argues that such actions breached sportsmanship and fair play principles, potentially damaging the image of African football on its biggest stage.
The FRMF is expected to request CAF to review the conduct and enforce its regulations to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
While Senegal ultimately returned to play, Morocco believes that the temporary walk-off affected the match’s flow and fairness, especially during such a high-stakes game.
Historic implications of Senegal’s victory
Senegal’s win marked the first time the Teranga Lions defeated the host nation in an AFCON final after five previous failed attempts.
With this victory, Senegal extended their unbeaten run in the tournament to 18 matches, second only to Egypt’s record of 24.
For Morocco, the defeat is particularly bitter. The Atlas Lions had not lifted the AFCON trophy since their 1976 win, and the missed penalty by Diaz became the symbol of a long-awaited dream slipping away.
Rain-soaked scenes in Rabat added to the drama, as fans and players alike witnessed Morocco’s first chance at a half-century-long wait for continental glory vanish in agonising fashion.
CAF is now expected to receive Morocco’s petition and decide on any measures or sanctions in the coming days.
Morocco hit with CAF sanction
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) took decisive action against Moroccan supporters following an incident during the third-place play-off between Egypt and Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations third-place match.
During the pre-match formalities, sections of the Moroccan crowd booed the Egyptian national anthem, an act that CAF immediately condemned as a breach of the tournament’s rules on respect and sportsmanship.
Source: Legit.ng
