On Tuesday evening, one of the strangest news in football appeared, when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded Morocco victory in the African Cup of Nations, almost two months after the final. The match ended 1-0 to Senegal after extra time, but Morocco secured victory after Senegal were awarded penalties for sending off their players.
Morocco were given a good chance to win the Afcon at home when a penalty was awarded in their favor during the final. Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz stepped up to take it, but saw his Panenka penalty saved, and four minutes into added time, Villarreal’s Pape Gueye fired the winner into the top corner.
However, before Brahim’s penalty was issued, the game was delayed for about 20 minutes, as the Senegalese team left the field against the referee’s decision. CAF announced that due to the rules of Articles 82 and 84, the team that lost the match will be considered if the players leave the field before the match has ended without the referee’s permission, and as a result, they won 3-0 against Morocco. Apart from that, Ismael Saibari from Morocco was fined €44k for his conduct, while the Moroccan Football Federation was also fined €139k for various incidents in the final.
Senegal will file an appeal against the decision
Since then, Senegal has confirmed that it will forward its request to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). “We are angry. There is a CAF Executive Committee meeting on March 29; it will be World War Three,” another official told L’Equipe (via Marca). The Senegalese Football Federation has confirmed that they will appeal this decision, saying the following as part of their statement.
“The FRMF wishes to emphasize that its approach was not intended to question the sports performance of the teams participating in this tournament, but only to request the application of the regulations. The Federation confirms its commitment to respect the rules, the clarity of the competition framework, and the stability of the African competitions.”
Communiqué de la FSF relatif à la notification de la decision rendue le 17 mars 2026 Par le Jury d’Appel de la Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF). 👇 pic.twitter.com/b0xxQsMQWU
— Equipe du Sénégal (@GaindeYi) March 18, 2026
Brahim Diaz was seen reacting in real time
The news comes at a time when many players and eyes are on the Champions League Round of 16, including Brahim. The Real Madrid star appeared to receive this news on the bench at the Etihad, as he was beaten 5-1 by Manchester City, looking happy but surprised.
This is the first time Brahim Diaz has received the information that Morocco has been awarded the AFCON title, an amazing reaction.
– Miss ADEL🦋🦚🌹 (@a_derll) March 18, 2026
Pathe Ciss enters social media
Rayo Vallecano midfielder Pathe Ciss, who is part of the Senegal team, took to social media to express his thoughts on the decision. Next to the four pictures to celebrate the victory of Senegal, he had the following to say.
Vous pouvez ajouter features 3 buts en faveur des lloron😂✌🏿
D’AFRIQUE 2 0 2 5 🇳🇸🇳🇸🇳🇸🇳🇸🇳🇸🇳🇸🇳🇸🇳🇸🇳🇸🇳 pic.twitter.com/ekIftZWsI1— Pathé Ciss 🇸🇳 (@pathe_22) March 17, 2026
“You can add three more goals in favor of crybaby.”
