CAF Updates AFCON 2025 Records, Names Morocco Champions

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has updated its official records for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, now recognizing Morocco as champions, with Senegal placed as runners-up and Nigeria in third position following a post-tournament ruling.

The revision follows a decision by CAF’s Appeal Board, which upheld a protest filed by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football. The ruling determined that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football breached Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations, leading to a forfeiture of the final match.

In its decision, the Appeal Board stated that the Senegal team forfeited the match, with the result recorded as a 3–0 victory in favour of Morocco. The outcome effectively altered the final standings of the tournament after its conclusion.

AFCON 2025, hosted in Morocco, featured a tightly contested competition from the group stages through to the final. Senegal had initially been regarded as the tournament winners based on their on-field performance, while Morocco were widely viewed as strong finalists before the ruling changed the record. Nigeria finished third after a consistent run that included notable attacking output and strong ball control across matches.

Nigeria recorded five consecutive victories, scoring 14 goals in total and maintaining an average possession rate of 66 percent, placing them among the most dominant sides statistically. Senegal led in passing accuracy, completing 3,562 passes throughout the competition, while both Senegal and Morocco registered the highest number of attempts on goal, with 108 shots each. Defensively, Morocco, Comoros, and DR Congo conceded the fewest goals in the tournament, with two each, while Mozambique conceded the most, allowing nine goals. Across the competition, a total of 123 goals were scored, accompanied by 210 yellow cards and nine red cards, reflecting the intensity of play. The final between Senegal and Morocco drew the highest attendance, with 66,526 spectators at Stade Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.

Senegal forward Sadio Mané was named Player of the Tournament. Morocco’s Brahim Díaz finished as top scorer with five goals. Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was awarded Best Goalkeeper after keeping five clean sheets, while Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman earned Best Playmaker recognition with four assists. Morocco also received the Fair Play Award.

The Appeal Board issued additional rulings on disciplinary matters linked to the final. Morocco’s Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct, though his suspension was reduced to two matches, with one match suspended, and a previously imposed financial penalty was withdrawn. CAF also adjusted fines related to organizational incidents, holding the Moroccan federation responsible for issues involving ball boys with the penalty reduced to $50,000, upholding a separate fine tied to interference near the VAR review area, and lowering a laser-related sanction to $10,000.

With the updated standings, AFCON 2025 closes with Morocco officially listed as champions, Senegal as runners-up, and Nigeria in third place, following one of the most closely scrutinized editions in the competition’s recent history.