RABAT — Morocco was awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title after Senegal was stripped of it following a walk-off incident in the final. The decision came after Senegalese players left the pitch in protest during second-half stoppage time when the match was tied 0–0.
Referee Jean-Jacques Ndala had awarded Morocco a penalty in the final moments of regulation. Senegalese players walked off the field in response and returned approximately 15 minutes later. Brahim Diaz took the penalty for Morocco using a panenka technique, but it was saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Senegal went on to win the match in extra time, but the title was later revoked due to the walk-off incident.
Senegal fans also clashed with stewards in the stands behind the Moroccan goal during the tense final. The disciplinary action by the Confederation of African Football resulted in Morocco being declared champions.
Walid Regragui resigned as Morocco’s head coach a few weeks after the final. Regragui had previously led the team to the semifinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. His departure opened the way for Mohamed Ouahbi, who was appointed Morocco’s new head coach after guiding the Moroccan youth team to victory in the 2025 U-20 FIFA World Cup.
"There’s an interesting parallel with Walid Regragui back in 2022. He also took over the national team two or three months before the World Cup," said Said Abadi, Moroccan journalist and author of The History of African Football. Ouahbi’s first matches as head coach were friendlies in March 2026.
Morocco’s football infrastructure has expanded in recent years, including the construction of the Mohammed VI academy in Maamoura and thousands of local “proximity fields” developed through cooperation between the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and the government. The country is also set to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.