What really happened in AFCON final? Inside CAF's U-turn

In a bizarre U-turn in football history, the African Football Confederation officially known as Confédération Africaine de Football stripped Senegal of the 2025 AFCON championship and declared Morocco the winners.

The move has sent shockwaves across the football community as the chaos-ridden match ended with Senegal’s 1-0 victory in extra time.

In an announcement on X (formerly Twitter), the CAF Media said that since the Senegal team briefly forfeited the final match, Morocco has been declared 2025 AFCON champions with a 3-0 score.

Senegal has announced to challenge the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Senegalese Football Federation’s Secretary General Abdoulaye Seydou said: “We will contact our lawyers and file an appeal. We will stop at nothing. The law is on our side.”

Here is what happened in the final:

The final was filled with drama as it featured Senegal’s walkout from the field before returning and securing the championship.

Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded a penalty to Morocco after a 14-minute delay following VAR check.

The penalty was awarded for a foul by Senegal fullback El Hadji Malick, who tugged Morocco's Brahim Diaz to the ground while defending a corner five minutes into stoppage time.

The decision was not welcomed by Senegalese coach Page Bouna Thiaw who ordered his players off. Football legend Sadio Mane persuaded Senegal to bring the team back onto the field.

After their return, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy stopped the weak penalty by Brahim Diaz. The stunning stop secured Senegal’s 1-0 victory. The only goal in the game was scored by Pape Gueye, who netted the ball around three minutes into extra time.