The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has controversially stripped Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2026 title, awarding the victory to Morocco. This sensational decision, made two months after the final match on January 18, 2026, was announced late Tuesday, citing regulations concerning teams leaving the field during a game. Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo was involved in calling for a VAR decision during the match.

During the AFCON final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Senegalese players controversially walked off the pitch in protest when Morocco was awarded a penalty late in second-half stoppage time. Although captain Sadio Mane eventually coaxed them back, Morocco missed the penalty. Senegal then secured a 1-0 victory in extra time with a goal from Pape Gueye.

CAF stated that after reviewing an appeal by Morocco and studying Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations, "the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match" with the result "officially recorded as 3-0" in favour of Morocco. These regulations stipulate that if a team "refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered (loser) and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition," losing the match by 3-0.

The decision has been met with outrage across Senegal. Fans expressed profound shock and anger, calling the move a "disgrace for Africa" and a "big continental farce." Gora Ndiaye, a Dakar resident, felt "hit over the head" by the news, arguing that if such a law applied, it should have been enforced immediately. Assietou Diallo, an accounting assistant, found it shocking that the victory was taken away two months later. Senegalese press echoed these sentiments with headlines like "Joke of the Century" and "Unprecedented Scandal."

The Senegalese Football Federation vehemently condemned the ruling as an "unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision, which brings African football into disrepute." They promptly announced their intention to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne to defend their rights and the interests of Senegalese football. Despite the official ruling, many Senegalese fans, like Khola Diouf, maintain that they are the true victors, highlighting Morocco's missed penalty and stating that "the whole world is witnessing and knows that Senegal deserves the cup." Issac Ndiaye, while more circumspect, acknowledged the Senegalese reaction was "a bit excessive" but praised Sadio Mane's clear-headedness during the incident.