Rabat, January 19th, 2026 (CPA). – The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has officially referred the matter to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to determine the consequences of Senegal’s withdrawal from the field on Sunday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat during the final of the 2025 African Cup of Nations (CAN), according to a statement. « The Royal Moroccan Football Federation announces that it has officially referred the matter to the competent authorities of the Confederation of African Football and the International Federation of Association Football in order to examine the withdrawal of the Senegalese team from the field during the final match against the Moroccan national team, as well as the events that accompanied it, which occurred after the referee announced a unanimously valid penalty, » the statement read. According to the source, these events seriously disrupted the normal course of the match and significantly affected the morale of the players. In addition, the Federation expressed its deepest gratitude to the Moroccan public, who showed exemplary loyalty to the national team through their massive presence and constant support during all the national team’s matches and the rest of the competition. It also thanked all those who contributed to the success of this continental competition.
A serious violation of sports regulations
According to the competition rules, consulted on Monday by the CPA, in one of the chapters relating to team withdrawals, Senegal’s action constituted a serious violation of the said sporting regulations and the principles of fair play, requiring severe sanctions: “If, for any reason, a team withdraws from the competition or fails to appear for a match, or refuses to play or leaves the field before the end of the match without the referee’s permission, it will be considered the loser and will be definitively eliminated from the current competition. The same applies to teams previously disqualified by decision of CAF.”