The shocking decision by CAF Court of Appeal to overturn the AFCON 2025 final two months ago and declare Morocco the winners after disqualifying Senegal for leaving the pitch in protest of a referee decision (even if they later won the match) was met with satisfaction by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, and said that their goal was the application of the rules.
"The appeal goes beyond the specific match. It concerns the interpretation of provisions essential to the stability, consistency, and credibility of competitions as a whole, and is not intended to 'replay the match' or question the performance of the teams involved", the Moroccan Football Federation said to outlets like RMC Sport.
"Our focus has never been on challenging sporting performance, but on demanding the application of the competition rules", reiterating its commitment to "the clarity of the competitive framework and the stability of African football."
CAF based their decision in Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON rules: "If, for any reason whatsoever, a team withdraws from the competition or does not report for a match, or refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered looser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition."
However, the decision has been met with very extreme reactions from those for and against the decision, with Senegal talking of a "scandal", and warning that they will appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration of Sport. They will also refuse to return the cup or pay back the bonus until the CAS rules its decision, something that could take months.