Morocco Won 1976 AFCON Despite Briefly Walking Out of Final Game, Says Former CAF Disciplinary Panel Chair

A former senior official of the Confederation of African Football has claimed that Morocco national football team briefly walked off the pitch during the decisive stage of the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations, a competition they eventually won.

The claim was made by Raymond Hack during an interview with Robert Marawa, where he referenced the historical tournament while discussing a recent ruling involving CAF competitions.

Hack’s comments came in the context of a dispute over the outcome of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, in which Senegal national football team were stripped of the title following a decision by CAF’s Appeals Board. The ruling held that Senegal breached competition regulations after players left the field in protest during a match.

Morocco had appealed an earlier decision by CAF’s Disciplinary Committee, which had initially rejected their protest. The Appeals Board’s verdict ultimately altered the outcome of the tournament, prompting renewed debate across the football community.

In his remarks, Hack pointed to the 1976 edition of the competition as a historical reference, suggesting that incidents involving teams leaving the field have occurred before without leading to match abandonment.

The 1976 AFCON was structured differently from the modern format. Eight teams competed, divided into two groups of four. The top two teams from each group advanced to a final round played in a round-robin format, with the team finishing with the most points crowned champion.

Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, and Guinea reached the final round. Going into the last match between Morocco and Guinea, the outcome of the tournament was still undecided. Guinea needed a victory to secure the title, while Morocco required only a draw.

Morocco secured the championship after a 1-1 draw, with a late goal from Ahmed Makrouh ensuring they finished ahead on points to claim their first continental title.

Hack’s assertion that Morocco walked off the pitch during that match has not been independently verified.

Meanwhile, Senegal has challenged CAF’s Appeals Board ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, seeking a review of the decision. The Senegalese authorities have also called for an independent international investigation into governance concerns within Confederation of African Football related to the case.

The developments continue to generate discussion within African football, particularly as historical precedents and regulatory interpretations come under renewed scrutiny.