The celebration that never came A tasteless AFCON title for Morocco

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Football is at its best in the heat of the moment, when victory is celebrated instantly on the pitch. Yet Morocco’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, awarded months after Senegal’s 1-0 extra-time win was overturned, strips the sport of that immediacy. On Tuesday, CAF declared the Teranga Lions to have forfeited the final, handing Morocco the trophy on paper. On the field, however, the contest’s authenticity and emotion were lost.

The rules are clear. Article 82 of the AFCON regulations states that a team leaving the pitch without the referee’s authorization can forfeit the match. During the final, Senegal’s players walked off for about 15 minutes at the insistence of head coach Pape Thiaw after a late penalty was awarded to the Atlas Lions. Urged back by captain Sadio Mané, they completed the match and scored the winning goal in extra time. If a forfeit was justified, it should have been enforced immediately. Delaying the decision undermines the spirit of the contest and fuels long-standing criticism of African football governance.

The contrast between onfield action and off-field administration could not be sharper. Brahim Diaz’s missed Panenka drew scrutiny, yet Moroccan players endured the full 120 minutes. Had CAF applied the rule in real time, Morocco could have celebrated with fans, parades, and chants intact. Instead, the championship arrived administratively and awkwardly. In protest, Walid Regragui, who guided Morocco to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, resigned before the ruling was announced.

This administrative title stands in stark contrast to Morocco’s first AFCON triumph in 1976 in Ethiopia. Under Romanian coach Virgil Mardarescu, Morocco went unbeaten in a final four-team round-robin, defeating Egypt and Nigeria before drawing with Guinea to seal the title. That victory was earned on the pitch, celebrated in real time, and remains a proud milestone in Moroccan football history.

Football shines brightest when triumph is earned on the field, not in boardrooms. Senegal, having completed the match and scored in extra time, was denied a rightful celebration and will continue to claim the trophy. Moroccans, meanwhile, are left with a title that feels hollow, its joy and immediacy lost. This championship is a reminder that football’s beauty lies in the moments that unfold on the pitch.