CAF’s Forfeiture Ruling Violates IFAB Laws – Why Stripping Senegal’s AFCON Title Is Illegal
The CAF Appeal Board’s decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title and award it to Morocco via a 3-0 administrative forfeit has raised serious legal questions under the IFAB Laws of the Game. Under Law 5, only the match referee can decide to abandon or conclude a game. In the AFCON final, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala allowed play to resume after Senegal’s brief walk-off and confirmed their 1-0 win. Critics argue that CAF’s post-match reversal unlawfully overrides his final on-field authority. A former CAF Appeals Board member told a journalist that the board lacks jurisdiction to change a referee’s in-match decision. This insider claim casts further doubt on the legality of the ruling. Senegal’s federation can challenge the forfeit at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. If CAS upholds IFAB statutes, the original result could be reinstated and Senegal would reclaim their second continental crown.
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