Months after the dramatic 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal, CAF issued a ruling on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, that sent shockwaves across African football.

The Teranga Lions were stripped of the title, and Morocco were awarded a 3–0 forfeit victory. The decision was grounded in CAF’s Article 84, part of the Confederation’s rules governing withdrawals and match abandonments.

But what does CAF’s Article 84 say?

Article 84 is found in Chapter 35, Withdrawals of CAF’s disciplinary regulations, and it deals directly with teams that refuse to play or leave the pitch:

Senegal responds to CAF over 2025 AFCON win nullification

Article 82: If a team withdraws, refuses to play, or leaves the ground without referee authorization, it is considered the loser and eliminated from the competition.

Article 83: Teams that are not ready at kick-off or arrive more than 15 minutes late automatically forfeit the match, with the referee documenting the absence in his report.

Article 84: Teams violating Articles 82 or 83 are eliminated for good from the competition. Their match is recorded as a 3–0 loss, unless the opponent already has a more advantageous score at the time of interruption. CAF also reserves the right to impose further sanctions.

It is this article that formed the legal basis for CAF’s decision in AFCON 2025.

How It Applied to Senegal

During the final, Senegal briefly walked off the pitch in protest, reportedly over a contentious late penalty awarded to Morocco. CAF determined that the walkout fell squarely under Articles 82–84:

By leaving the pitch without referee authorization, Senegal violated Article 82.
As a result, CAF applied Article 84, ruling that Morocco would win 3–0 by forfeit, even though the match had already finished 1–0 in normal play.

The Organising Committee also reserved the right to consider further disciplinary measures against the Senegalese team.

Why This Matters

Article 84 is one of CAF’s strongest tools to enforce competition integrity. It ensures that teams cannot abandon matches or refuse to play without facing decisive consequences.

Historically, this article has not been applied to an AFCON final, making the 2025 ruling both precedent-setting and controversial.

FKA/JE

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