By Kazeem Ajibola Shoyebo
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has agreed to reopen the disciplinary case surrounding the chaotic 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final following a successful appeal by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football(FRMF) against sanctions imposed after the match marred by protests and unrest.
CAF’s Appeals Committee has accepted Morocco’s appeal against the penalties initially handed down by the Disciplinary Board after the controversial final on January 18, 2026 in Rabat, where Senegal national football team defeated Morocco 1–0 in extra time.
The initial sanctions included fines and match bans for players and officials from both Senegal and Morocco, stemming from incidents that disrupted the final. Morocco’s football federation protested the rulings as disproportionate to the severity of the occurrences, particularly focusing on conduct during the referee’s decisions and crowd disturbances.
CAF’s decision to reopen the case means the disciplinary file will be fully reviewed from the beginning, with a new hearing scheduled to allow both federations to present additional evidence and arguments. The development raises the possibility that outcomes, including financial penalties and suspensions, could be altered or overturned.
Details on the revised timeline for hearings have not been publicly released, but CAF is expected to call all involved parties back before its Appeals Committee in coming weeks to reexamine the case thoroughly.
The move marks a rare step by CAF to reassess disciplinary rulings in a major continental final, reflecting ongoing debate within African football circles about disciplinary fairness and consistency in sanctioning serious match incidents.
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