The Confederation of African Football’s decision to overturn the result of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final has not only reshaped the destination of the trophy but also drawn attention to the panel behind the ruling.
CAF’s Appeals Jury, a diverse body of legal and administrative figures from across the continent, delivered what has been described as a historic verdict on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.
The decision annulled the victory of the Senegal team and awarded the title to Morocco, triggering widespread reaction across African football.
At the centre of this landmark ruling was a nine-member panel led by Nigerian jurist Justice Roli Daibo Harriman, who served as president of the Appeals Jury.
Supporting him was Vice-president Faustino Varela Monteiro from Cabo Verde, alongside representatives drawn from different regions of Africa.
The remaining members included Moez Ben Tahar Nasri of Tunisia, Moses Ikanqa from Namibia, Hamoud T’feil Bowbe of Mauritania, Mohamed Robleh Djama of Djibouti, Assogbavi Komlan of Togo, Justice Masauko Timothy Msungama from Malawi, and Lubamba Ngimbi Hector of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The composition of the jury reflects CAF’s effort to assemble a broad and balanced panel with legal expertise and continental representation.
Their collective decision has now become one of the most consequential rulings in the history of the competition.
The Appeals Jury based its verdict on Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations.
These provisions state that a team that leaves the field of play without authorisation can be deemed to have forfeited the match.
CAF ruled that Senegal’s temporary withdrawal during the final in Rabat met this threshold, resulting in their original win being converted into a 3–0 defeat.
This decision followed an appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, which challenged the outcome of the final played two months earlier.
With the jury ruling in Morocco’s favour, the North African nation has now been officially crowned champions of AFCON 2025.
The Senegalese Football Federation has already announced plans to challenge the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, suggesting that the case may yet undergo further scrutiny.
However, CAF maintains that the decision was reached in strict accordance with its regulations.
For now, Morocco stand as the officially recognised champions, but the spotlight remains firmly on the Appeals Jury, the group whose decision has rewritten the conclusion of AFCON 2025 and reshaped one of the continent’s biggest football stories.
