That's why WAFCON was postponed — Fans speculate after CAF hand Senegal's AFCON title to Morocco

CAF’s absurd decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 African Cup of Nations title, naming losing finalist Morocco as champions after a successful appeal, has attracted widespread dismay,  criticism and speculation.

One of the leading hypotheses by fans online is closely related to the indecision regarding the WAFCON after Morocco pulled out of hosting it.

The Confederations announced on Tuesday, March 17th, that its appeal board has decided to strip the Teranga Lions of the title, which they won after beating hosts Morocco, 1-0, after extra time in Rabat.

They cited Article 84 of the Regulations for the strange decision, stating that the Senegal national team are declared to have forfeited the match after leaving the pitch in protest of a contentious penalty decision.

Morocco went on to lose the game and have since protested the decision, submitting an official complaint to CAF. The resolve has returned in their favour and they have been named AFCON 2025 champions.

While their appeal was ongoing, Morocco reportedly withdrew from hosting the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) less than 60 days before its scheduled March kickoff. 

South African officials, including Deputy Sports Minister Peace Mabe, publicly declared their readiness to step in as emergency hosts, but neither Morocco nor CAF publicly confirmed the claims; however, they postponed the competition, which was set for March 17 to April 3, 2026, until July 25 to August 16 in the same year, citing "unexpected logistical and organisational issues."

Following the announcement by CAF, handing Morocco the AFCON title via a boardroom decision, fans have raised eyebrows, suggesting that a conspiracy was afoot.