Moroccan FA welcomes CAF Appeal Board ruling, Confirms 2026 WAFCON hosting rights

By Harry Awurumibe, Editor-in-Chief, Abuja                                                                                                                                                             The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has welcomed the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board’s ruling declaring the Kingdom of Morocco as the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions after overturning the Atlas Lions and Terenga Lions’ final match result due to Senegal’s misconduct in the 1-0 win.

In overturning the onfield result of the 2025 AFCON, the CAF Appeal Board during the week ruled that Senegal breached regulations (Article 84) by walking off the pitch during the ill-tempered final match against Morocco, resulting in a 3-0 forfeiture loss.

This decision by the Appeal Board reversed an earlier ruling by the CAF Disciplinary Board, which fined both Senegal and Morocco for the ugly scenes witnessed during the match but did not strip Senegal of the AFCON trophy despite breaching some Articles of CAF Competitions Regulations highlighting the independence of the judicial process, according to CAF President Patrice Motsepe.

However, the FRMF has welcomed the Appeal Board ruling and stated clearly that the appeal it lodged was to ensure strict application of regulations of CAF and not to undermine the sporting merit of opponents.

The federation also said it sees the decision as a validation of Morocco’s commitment to CAF rules and regulations, stating that the appeal aimed to ensure fair play.

This is as it expresses its appreciation to all teams that participated in the 2025 AFCON hosted by Morocco, which it said marked a significant milestone in the history of African football.

Meanwhile, the FRMF has reaffirmed its commitment to hosting the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), saying Morocco looks forward with confidence to the upcoming sporting events, mostly the expanded WAFCON this summer.

This assurance is contained in a seven-page statement issued by the FRMF yesterday in Rabat, Morocco, welcoming the ruling of CAF Appeal Board, even as this year’s competition earlier slated for March 17 to April 3, 2026, has been moved to July 25 to August 16, 2026 by CAF following uncertainties over the hosting of the tournament by Morocco.

With this latest assurance by the FRMF, the 16 teams taking part in the biggest women’s football competition in Africa, which will also serve as the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals qualifiers can now concentrate on their preparations.

2026 WAFCON Groups:
Group A (Rabat):                                                                                                                                                                                                 Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya

Group B (Rabat):
South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Tanzania

Group C (Casablanca):                                                                                                                                                                                           Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi

Group D (Fès):
Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde