New refereeing claims emerge from AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco | OneFootball

New claims raise questions over how the match was managed

New refereeing claims emerge from AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco

Fresh controversy has emerged around the AFCON 2025 final after new claims about refereeing decisions during Senegal’s win over Morocco.

Old final, New questions

Debate returned around the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final, nearly month after Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 after extra time.

The match played in Rabat was already marked by tension and dramatic moments.

However recent statements have brought the refereeing of the final back into focus raising fresh questions about how the game was managed at critical stage.

Penalty incident that changed the mood

The final interrupted for a long period after late penalty was awarded to Morocco, a decision that angered several Senegal players.

In protest some players temporarily left the pitch creating unusual and chaotic scene during the most important match of the tournament.

That incident later led to disciplinary action. The Senegalese Football Federation was fined more than $600,000 while head coach Pape Thiaw received continental suspension.

Several players were also punished including Iliman Ndiaye & Ismaila Sarr.

The Confederation of African Football said the sanctions were aimed at enforcing discipline and protecting fair play.

Claims of exceptional instructions

The controversy intensified after recent CAF executive committee meeting in Dar es Salaam.

During the meeting, Olivier Safari head of the referees committee reportedly revealed that exceptional instructions were given during the final.

According to information shared from the meeting, referees were initially expected to book every Senegal player who left the pitch once they returned.

However instructions were later issued not to apply those sanctions, in order to avoid the risk of the match being abandoned and to ensure the final could be completed.

Fair play vs match continuity

If officially confirmed, these claims raise serious questions about the balance between strict application of the laws and the desire to protect the continuity of a major final.

Observers are now debating whether such decisions helped save the match or undermined confidence in the neutrality of its management.

As a result, the integrity of the AFCON 2025 final is once again under close scrutiny.