The 2025 African Cup of Nations soccer tournament, known familiarly as AFCON, concluded on Jan. 18, 2026 with Senegal defeating Morocco off of midfielder Pape Gueye’s golden goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The Moroccan side disputed this outcome heavily when it happened, and two months later their wish seems to have been granted. On March 17, the Confederation of African Football’s appeal board reversed the decision of the game on the grounds that Senegal had actually forfeited mid-match.

The championship game, hosted in Morocco’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, was already wildly controversial at its original conclusion. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, a corner kick from Senegal cut through chaos in the box and found Ismaila Sarr, who headed the ball, seemingly for a goal. However, Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala controversially ruled that Senegal’s Abdoulaye Seck had fouled Moroccan star Achraf Hakimi while clearing the ball’s path to Sarr. Since Ndala had defied typical protocol and made the call before the play ended, the goal’s validity was not allowed to be reviewed. 

Three minutes later, Senegal’s El Hadji Malick Diouf was called for holding Brahim Diaz in the penalty area, triggering a penalty kick for Morocco. The Senegalese side, outraged with both calls, began physically shoving the referee Ndala as well as several Moroccan players. Eventually, head coach Pape Thiaw instructed his team to exit the pitch and return to the Senegalese locker room, where they remained for 14 minutes. During that time, Senegalese fans attempted to rush the pitch and fights broke out in the press box, prompting Moroccan police to get involved. Containing the fights required pausing play for another seven minutes. Senegalese star Sadio Mane convinced the team to return to the pitch and the game resumed with Diaz being allowed to take the penalty, which Senegal’s Edouard Mendy saved. 

The game continued into extra time, finally ending when Senegal’s Pape Gueye netted a beautiful lefty shot from just inside the penalty box. After 93 total minutes of scoreless football, 14 minutes of a team protesting in the locker room and an additional seven minutes of de-escalating fights, Senegal was victorious. Morocco filed a complaint against the ruling the day after the match.

59 days after the match on March 17, the result was reversed by the Confederation of African Football’s appeal board on the grounds that Senegal had forfeited the match by leaving the field of play to protest. Senegal was stripped of their title and expected to return their trophy, although the Senegalese Football Federation has already begun appealing the decision to both the CAF and Court of Arbitration for Sport.