Morocco was named the AFCON champion in a shocking decision two months after Senegal won the title.

On Tuesday, appeals judges gave Morocco the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, reversing Senegal's 1-0 win in the controversial final that took place two months ago on January 18. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said that the appeal board decided that Senegal had "forfeited the final." This means that Morocco, the host nation, wins the game 3-0 by default after Senegal's 1-0 win in extra time.

Senegal players, led by coach Pape Thiaw, left the field to protest the referee's decision to give a penalty that would decide the match during the stoppage time for 15 minutes. But when the game started up again, Morocco forward Brahim Diaz's penalty kick was saved by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Senegal scored the only goal in extra time to win the AFCON Cup.

Before the protest that made the Senegalese players leave, the atmosphere in the stadium was already tense because they had denied a goal before giving Morocco a penalty. In the second minute of stoppage time, Senegal's goal was ruled out because Abdoulaye Seck fouled someone. But TV replays showed that Morocco's defense didn't touch Achraf Hakimi very much.

During an initial disciplinary hearing, CAF banned players and officials from Senegal and Morocco and fined them over $1 million. But CAF had not altered the outcome.

The Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) first filed an appeal with the CAF's Disciplinary Board, but it was denied. However, the CAF's appeal board granted their appeal after they claimed that Senegal had broken Article 82 of the tournament's rules.

"If, for any reason whatsoever, a team refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorization of the referee, it shall be considered the loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition," according to Articles 82 and 84 of the African Cup of Nations regulations.

"The Federation reiterates its commitment to upholding the rules, guaranteeing clarity in the competitive framework, and maintaining stability within African competitions. Its approach has never been intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition's regulations.

"It also wishes to commend all the nations that took part in this edition of the AFCON, which has been a major moment for African football," the FRMF statement said.

The Senegalese have now stated that they intend to challenge the CAF's ruling at the Court of Arbitraton for Sport (CAS). Senegal won the trophy for the first time in 2021, but Morocco won its first African title since 1976, according to the verdict handed down on Tuesday.