The Confederation of African Football's (CAF) appeal board has stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title, awarding it instead to Morocco two months after the final was played in January 2026. The ruling, based on CAF regulations governing team withdrawals, penalised Senegal for leaving the pitch for approximately ten minutes during the match — despite the referee choosing to suspend play briefly and then resume it, with the game ultimately completing in full. The decision is highly contentious among sports law experts, who note it is unprecedented at a continental final level and conflicts with established rules granting referees binding authority over match results; Senegal's football federation has already filed a request at the Court of Arbitration for Sport to suspend the ruling while a full appeal is heard.