Boardroom champions: Morocco's AFCON title leaves sour taste

News of CAF’s decision to declare Morocco the champions of the 2026 AFCON started trickling in on Tuesday evening while the UEFA Champions League was in full swing.

One of the players who reportedly broke into a smile as the news emerged was Brahim Diaz.

Diaz is infamous for missing the penalty that preceded Senegal’s mini walkout during the final. The Real Madrid midfielder must be relieved that he will probably not be remembered for that miss but Morocco did not win AFCON, at least not on the pitch.

We have seen many controversial incidents in various finals before, but for a final to be decided in the boardroom months after Senegal had already been crowned champions should be an embarrassment for both Morocco and the CAF Appeals Committee.

They ruled that the Senegalese national team infringed Article 82 of AFCON’s regulations, while Article 84 outlines the repercussions.

The CAF statement read: “The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) Appeal Board decided today that, in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (“the Match”), with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).”

While the board supposedly attempted to apply the letter of the law, why didn’t the referee enforce it during the incident? If the referee had managed to impose the forfeiture in real time, we would not be seeing Morocco celebrating a boardroom title.

Morocco’s hosting had been top-notch and was one of the highlights that made the tournament impressive. However, their decision to pursue victory under all circumstances is lacking in class.

Senegal was, without a doubt, out of line when they decided to walk off the pitch, but still, this does not reflect well on Morocco, who need titles to match their current investment in football. They are set to co-host the World Cup alongside Portugal and Spain, which has clearly placed them on a win-now path. It appears they are not in the business of sentiment and are willing to do whatever it takes to win.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation’s (FRMF) initial statement claimed that “its approach has never been intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition’s regulations.”

Now that they have received a favourable ruling, do they expect to lift the trophy in front of a capacity crowd and recreate a moment they simply did not earn?

For months, CAF has reportedly been under pressure from Moroccan authorities, who allegedly threatened to withdraw from hosting the Women’s WAFCON following the incidents in the men’s tournament. This suggests a sustained effort behind the scenes, and now that the ruling has gone in their favour, the matter is far from settled.

It is understandable that Senegal intends to challenge this decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“The Senegalese Football Federation denounces this unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision, which discredits African football. To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the Federation will initiate an appeal as soon as possible before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. The FSF reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice and will keep the public informed of developments in this matter.”

It is a travesty that African football’s greatest event has been reduced to gossip fodder. The integrity of the competition is at an all-time low, as it calls into question the quality of refereeing and officiating standards.

Once the referee blew the final whistle, it should have sealed the outcome. While minor incidents during a match can always be revisited, a final, where emotions are fully exhausted, should never be decided by men in suits.

The next few months are bound to test African football, and if Morocco wants allies on the continent, they must act wisely.