Claude Le Roy protests CAF decision to strip Senegal of AFCON title

Former Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana national team coaches Claude Le Roy has openly come out to castigate the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to take away 2025 AFCON title from the West Africans and give it to Morocco.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in January to win the tournament, but it was a hugely controversial win against the tournament hosts. CAF decided to uphold the appeal filed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) following the sanctions imposed by the governing body after the final on January 18.

The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (“the Match”),…

— CAF Media (@CAF_Media) March 17, 2026

Consequently, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) was found to be in breach of regulations due to its team’s conduct during the final.

The sanction was immediate and drastic: Senegal was declared the loser by forfeit, and the match was officially awarded to Morocco with a score of 3-0, thus granting them the continental title.

‘I couldn’t imagine for a second’

“I couldn’t imagine for a second that the CAF could go so far down this path of absurdity. But when you see how the CAF is run today by Patrice Motsepe, who is essentially Gianni Infantino’s lackey, you understand certain things better,” said Le Roy as quoted by Wiwi Sports.

“From the start, some were determined to give the cup to Morocco. Yet, even though Morocco had a very good AFCON and deserved to go far in the competition, in the final it was clearly Senegal, who were the better team. No one could have imagined that we would hear such a decision two months later.”

He added: “We’re in the middle of an election period, so we can imagine all sorts of things happening, only to ultimately decide that Morocco is the champion. I think this isn’t over yet, and Senegal will eventually have its rights restored.”

CAF decides to reduce penalty

The disciplinary proceedings didn’t end with the final. The case of Moroccan midfielder Ismaël Saibari was also reviewed on appeal. Found guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct in violation of articles 82 and 83(1) of the disciplinary code, the player nevertheless saw his sanction reduced.

Initially heavily penalised, Saibari ultimately received a two-match suspension in CAF competitions, one of which was suspended. The $100,000 fine imposed on him, however, was overturned.

The CAF’s decision does not entirely absolve the Moroccan federation. It is found responsible for the ball boys’ behavior during the match. However, the fine related to this incident has been reduced to $50,000.

However, the $100,000 penalty for interference around the VAR review area (OFR) is upheld. Regarding the laser incident, the CAF has decided to reduce the penalty to $10,000.

Rarely has an Africa Cup of Nations final had such an outcome. This verdict, handed down on appeal, completely reshapes the sporting outcome of the competition and is likely to provoke numerous reactions across the continent.