Claude Le Roy Calls CAF Verdict “Pitiful” – Morocco Declared Champions Amid Outrage

Claude Le Roy Blasts CAF, “absurdity” after Morocco awarded AFCON title over Senegal

Claude Le Roy calls CAF's ruling “pathetic” and hints at manipulation as Morocco is awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title Senegal won on the pitch.

Senegal's AFCON 2025 win has been overturned, with Morocco declared champions after the CAF Appeal Board upheld Morocco's appeal...

Veteran coach Claude Le Roy has slammed the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over their decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco. CAF ruled that Senegal forfeited the match by walking off the pitch in protest against a late penalty awarded to Morocco, citing Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations.

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Le Roy described the decision as “absurdity,” saying it's a shame for African football. The Senegalese Football Federation has condemned the decision, calling it “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable,” and plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Senegal's players have also taken to social media to mock the decision, with some describing it as “corrupt.”

The decision has sparked widespread outrage, with many questioning CAF's credibility. The case is likely to drag on, with Senegal's appeal to CAS expected to take around a year to resolve.

“Following an appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), the CAF Appeals Committee deemed the appeal admissible on procedural grounds and well-founded on its merits,” read part of the CAF statement.

“It thus overturned the initial decision of the Disciplinary Committee, finding that the Senegalese team’s conduct should be sanctioned according to Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament’s regulations.”

CAF's Decision Sparks Outrage

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has been found guilty of breaching regulations due to their team's conduct during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 final against Morocco. The controversy surrounds the team's decision to walk off the pitch in protest of a late penalty awarded to Morocco, which was subsequently missed by Brahim Diaz. Despite the protest, Senegal went on to win the match 1-0, courtesy of Pape Gueye's goal.

The CAF Appeal Board decided 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”),…

— CAF Media (@CAF_Media) March 17, 2026

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeals Board has ruled that Senegal's actions constituted a breach of Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, resulting in the match being awarded to Morocco with a 3-0 scoreline. The FSF has denounced the decision as “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable” and plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

CAF Was Intent on Awarding Morocco

“I couldn’t imagine for a second that the CAF could go so far down this path of absurdity,” said the 78-year-old Le Roy, who gained prominence at international level as coach to the Senegal, Cameroon, and Ghana national teams as quoted by WiwSport.

“But when you see how the CAF is run today by Patrice Motsepe, who is essentially Gianni Infantino's lackey, you understand certain things better. From the start, some were determined to give the cup to Morocco.

“Yet, even though Morocco had a very good AFCON and deserved to go far in the competition, in the final it was clearly Senegal who were the better team. No one could have imagined that we would hear such a decision two months later.”

CAF's Image Just Took a Massive Hit

Claude Le Roy says Senegal won't give up, vowing to fight on to restore their rights. “They will fight to the end,” he said, backing the team's stance against the CAF decision. The Senegalese Football Federation also plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“We’re in the middle of an election period, so we can imagine all sorts of things happening, only to ultimately decide that Morocco is the champion,” added Le Roy, who took charge of Senegal when they reached the quarter-finals at the 1992 African Cup of Nations.

Communiqué de la FSF relatif à la notification de la décision rendue le 17 mars 2026 par le Jury d'Appel de la Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF). 👇 pic.twitter.com/b0xxQsMQWU

— Equipe du Sénégal (@GaindeYi) March 18, 2026

“I think this isn’t over yet, and Senegal will eventually have its rights restored. But, once again, it’s a disgrace to the image of the Confederation of African Football.

“I think that, initially, there will be an appeals committee, since this is a preliminary ruling.

“Then, depending on the outcome, the case could be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But I fear that this decision, unfortunately for a continent with so much potential, will be a laughingstock for the entire football world.”

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) is pushing back against the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) decision to strip them of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, calling it “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable” and claiming it discredits African football. The FSF plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, reaffirming its commitment to integrity and sporting justice.

“To defend the rights and interests of Senegalese football, the federation announces it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, with an emergency procedure to be initiated as soon as possible,” read part of the statement.

“The Federation reaffirms its commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice and will keep the public informed of the follow-up to this matter.”

Ismael Saibari, Morocco's midfielder, has had his sanction amended to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended, for misconduct during the AFCON final against Senegal. The fine of $100,000 previously imposed on him has been set aside by the CAF Appeals Board. This decision comes after Saibari was found guilty of violating Articles 82 and 83(1) of the CAF Disciplinary Code, reportedly for taking Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy's towel.

The CAF Appeals Board also upheld Morocco's appeal regarding the ball boys' incident, reducing the fine to $50,000. Additionally, Achraf Hakimi, Morocco's captain, received a two-match suspension, with one match suspended, for unsporting behavior.