By Danjuma Amodu | March 17, 2026
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, declaring Morocco the champions instead.
This decision follows a tumultuous final match where Senegalese players temporarily left the pitch in protest of a refereeing decision, leading to a 3-0 forfeit in favour of Morocco.
The CAF Appeal Board found Senegal guilty of violating Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, warranting the forfeiture.
Significant sanctions were imposed on both teams. Senegal was fined $615,000 for improper conduct of supporters, unsporting behaviour of players and staff. Coach Pape Thiaw was suspended for 5 official CAF matches and fined $100,000, while players Ismaila Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye were suspended for 2 official CAF matches each.
Also, Morocco was fined $315,000 for VAR zone invasion, misconduct by ball boys, and fan use of laser pointers. Player Ismaël Saibari was suspended for 3 official CAF matches and fined $100,000, and Achraf Hakimi was suspended for 2 official CAF matches, with one of the matches suspended for 1 year.
FIFA Sanctions Nigeria and DR Congo
In a separate development, FIFA has sanctioned Nigeria and DR Congo over incidents during their 2026 World Cup playoff match.
Nigeria was fined 1,000 Swiss francs for spectators throwing objects onto the pitch, while DR Congo received a heavier fine of 5,000 Swiss francs for fans using laser pointers.
The match, played on 16 November 2025, ended 1-1 after extra time, with DR Congo winning 4-3 on penalties. Nigeria had filed a petition questioning the eligibility of some DR Congo players, but FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee rejected the petition. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced plans to appeal the decision.
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