International soccer often produces shocking headlines that force Americans to recontextualize just how much the sport means to people and countries across the globe. That’s happening again with the Africa Cup of Nations.
Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 in extra time in the final, and celebrated the way anyone might expect. However, things took a turn on Tuesday, when the Confederation of African Football overturned the victory after ruling that Senegal was “declared to have forfeited the Final,” turning its 1-0 win into an automatic 3-0 loss, and awarding Morocco the AFCON title.
According to ESPN, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) on Wednesday said the decision “discredits African football,” and that it plans to move forward with an appeal “as soon as possible” to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“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,” the FSF said in a statement.
Senegal players, led by coach Pape Thiaw, left the field during the final in protest during stoppage time for 15 minutes after Morocco was awarded a penalty that was set to decide the match.
Morocco would go on to miss the spot kick when play resumed, and Senegal wound up scoring the game-winning goal in extra time.
Senegal’s appeal process would typically take a year to reach a final verdict, but in the meantime, the country is pulling out all of the stops to protect its hardware.
🚨BREAKING: Senegal Coach took the AFCON to their military base today..🏆🇸🇳
It’s now positioned in the centre of their military camp.
Protecting what rightfully belongs to them…😅
pic.twitter.com/z2pbzxuGEw— Topskills Sports UK (@topskillsportuk) March 19, 2026
Morocco coach Walid Regragui recently stepped down after facing criticism for failing to win the AFCON title, saying “the team needs a new lease of life before the World Cup.”
In a shocking turn, Morocco will now come to North America as the African champion in the 2026 World Cup.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.