CAN 2026 final: Morocco demanded a win by default | OneFootball

CAN 2026 final: Morocco demanded a win by default

The secretary general of the Senegalese Football Federation made significant statements regarding Senegal's appearance before the CAF disciplinary committee. Abdoulaye Seydou Sow revealed that the Moroccan side argued for the Lions of Teranga to lose the match by default.

It was during the "Galaxie Sport" show on RTS, Senegal’s national television, that the FSF secretary general made these revelations.

"Morocco did not file a complaint against our coach or our players. Morocco wanted to use the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, specifically articles 82 and 84, to claim a win by default, regardless of whether Senegal returned to the pitch or not. They presented their arguments and brought in four lawyers. In all their reports, Morocco insisted that Senegal be declared losers by default," explained Seydou Sow.

Faced with this Moroccan stance, the FSF secretary general detailed Senegal’s defense: "Our lawyer defended our position by citing article 146 of the disciplinary code, which states that a team that does not start the match is considered to have lost, just like a team that starts but does not finish. However, Senegal both started and finished the match. Therefore, it was not possible to talk about a loss by default. As a result, the disciplinary committee rejected Morocco’s request."

As a reminder, the Royal Moroccan Federation has announced it will appeal the decisions rendered by CAF. Is this an attempt to insist on Senegal’s loss by default? We will know more once CAF responds to the appeal filed by the FRMF.