Not our intention — Morocco reacts to CAF names them as AFCON 2025 champion

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FMRF) has accepted the ruling from CAF’s Appeal Board to strip Senegal of their 2025 AFCON title and award it to them despite losing 1-0 on the pitch. 

Following the CAF announcement on Tuesday, March 17, FMRF released a statement acknowledging the ruling but stating that their protest was not intended to challenge the sporting performance, rather the regulatory inconsistencies.

"The Federation wishes to recall 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," the statement read.

“The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, ensuring clarity in the competitive framework, and maintaining stability within African competitions. 

“It also wishes to commend all the nations that took part in this edition of the AFCON, which has been a major moment for African football. The Federation will make an official statement tomorrow, after convening its governing bodies."

After the proposed meeting, the federation released a subsequent statement, announcing that it had accepted the CAF Appeal Board’s ruling, which named them as AFCON 2025 champions after Senegal were adjudged to have forfeited.

"The FRMF has received the decisions made by the CAF Appeals Board regarding the events that occurred during the match between the Moroccan national team and their Senegalese counterparts in the Africa Cup of Nations final.”

“The CAF Appeals Board, acting in accordance with Article 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, has ruled that the Senegalese national team forfeited the match in the Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 final, awarding a 3-0 victory to the Moroccan national team."

As Pulse Sports reported, the Appeal Board decided to award the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) title to Morocco, stripping Senegal's Teranga Lions of their title as African champions.

This decision came after the CAF Appeal Board decided that, in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the AFCON, the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the final match of the 2025 tournament after leaving the pitch in protest of a contentious penalty decision.