Breaking: CAF declares Morocco Backdoor AFCON champions

• Morocco has emerged as the off-field champions of the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations hosted on home soil
• The Atlas Lions see disciplinary fines slashed and Ismaël Saibari cleared, though a heavy penalty for VAR interference remains.

The Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has emerged from a legal tussle with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with several key victories, effectively clearing their star midfielder Ismaël Saibari and winning Senegal 3-0 via forfeiture.

The CAF Appeal Board decided this Tuesday that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (“the Match”), with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).

Saibari cleared to play

Asides winning their first AFCON in 50 years,  another significant boost for the national team is the total exoneration of Ismaël Saibari. The Appeal Board has officially set aside the disciplinary measures previously leveled against the No. 11, ensuring his availability for upcoming fixtures. For a squad increasingly reliant on its younger technical talents, Saibari’s clearance is a major relief for manager Walid Regragui.

The ‘Ball Boy’ and ‘Laser’ mitigations

Morocco’s legal team also found success in challenging the severity of fines related to stadium conduct.

In the case of the “ball boy incident”—where the FRMF was initially hit with a heavy penalty—the Appeal Board partially upheld the federation’s defense. While CAF maintained that the FRMF is ultimately responsible for the conduct of pitch-side staff, the fine was significantly reduced to USD 50,000.

Similarly, the appeal regarding the laser incident—a recurring issue in North African football environments—was partially upheld. The board reduced that penalty to a relatively minor USD 10,000.

The VAR standoff

However, the ruling was not a total sweep for the Moroccans. The Appeal Board took a much harder line on the interference around the OFR/VAR review area.

Protecting the sanctity of the officiating process remains a high priority for CAF. Consequently, Morocco’s appeal against this specific charge was dismissed, and a substantial fine of USD 100,000 was upheld. This serves as a stern reminder from Cairo that any intimidation or disruption of video review technology will be met with zero tolerance.

Despite the standing VAR fine, the FRMF will likely view this as a net win. By overturning the player suspension and shaving tens of thousands of dollars off the secondary charges, the federation has successfully navigated a complex disciplinary minefield.

Senegal is expected to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) but this decision serves as another irreparable damage to CAF.