Morocco have begun receiving international congratulations after being officially declared winners of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, following a dramatic decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to overturn the original final result.
The ruling, announced on Tuesday evening, saw Senegal stripped of the title they had secured on the pitch, with the trophy instead awarded to the Morocco national football team.
In the immediate aftermath of the decision, the French Embassy in Morocco became one of the first international bodies to publicly acknowledge the outcome, offering its congratulations to the North African side.
“Congratulations to the Moroccan national team,” it wrote.
The message signals early diplomatic recognition of Morocco’s newly awarded status as continental champions, even as debate continues across the football world over the circumstances surrounding the decision.
CAF’s announcement has been widely described as one of the most significant and controversial rulings in the history of African football.
The governing body confirmed that Morocco would be awarded the title by default, effectively reversing Senegal’s victory from the final played two months earlier.
The decision was linked to incidents that occurred during that match, although full details of the ruling’s implications continue to be discussed.
While Morocco’s camp has begun to receive congratulatory messages, the situation remains far from settled.
Senegal are set to head to CAS to challenge the decision by CAF, describing the verdict “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable”.
For Morocco, the recognition marks a significant moment, with the team now officially acknowledged as champions despite not originally lifting the trophy on the pitch.
Across Africa and beyond, the reaction has been mixed.
Some have moved swiftly to recognise Morocco’s triumph, while others have questioned the process that led to such a dramatic reversal of a major final result.
The development has also reignited broader conversations about governance in football, particularly when decisions taken off the field alter outcomes that had already been settled during play.
Despite the uncertainty and ongoing debate, messages of congratulations such as that from the French Embassy highlight how the football and diplomatic communities are beginning to respond to the new reality.
Whether more nations and organisations will follow suit remains to be seen, especially as Senegal weigh their next steps in response to losing a title they had celebrated just weeks earlier.
For now, Morocco stand as the officially recognised champions of AFCON 2025, their first in about five decades.
