Morocco’s football federation has formally asked for the strict application of competition rules following a 17-minute stoppage during the Africa Cup of Nations final, arguing that the interruption should result in an automatic victory.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has submitted an official appeal to both the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA over the circumstances surrounding the final, which was played on Sunday 18 January.
At the centre of the complaint is a prolonged halt to the match after Senegalese players left the pitch for more than 17 minutes without authorisation from the referee.
According to the Moroccan federation, this action constitutes an abandonment of the match under existing regulations, which provide for an automatic defeat in such cases.
The FRMF is therefore calling for the rules to be enforced as written, insisting that the decision to resume play should be reviewed.
Moroccan officials argue that allowing the match to continue after such an interruption sets a dangerous precedent for future competitions.
The appeal goes beyond the events of the final itself. In its submission, the federation recalls that Senegal has previously been involved in similar situations, notably during matches in 2012 and 2004 against Côte d’Ivoire and Tunisia.
For Moroccan officials, these past incidents reinforce the need for a firm response to ensure consistency and fairness across African competitions.
The federation says its objective is not only to address what happened on Sunday, but also to protect the integrity of the game.
Officials believe that African tournaments must remain governed by clear and equal application of the rules, regardless of the context or the level of tension during a match.
Morocco has also raised concerns about the broader atmosphere surrounding the tournament.
The FRMF points to rumours circulated before the competition suggesting Moroccan influence over refereeing decisions, claims which it says were intended to destabilise players and staff.
By challenging the decision to restart the match, the Moroccan federation says it is seeking guarantees from football’s governing bodies that sporting fairness will be upheld and that teams will not be subjected to psychological pressure through off-field narratives.
The underlying concern, according to Moroccan officials, is that prolonged interruptions could become a tactical tool rather than an exceptional occurrence.
They argue that outcomes should be determined solely by what happens during regulation play, not by incidents that disrupt the normal flow of the game.
CAF and FIFA have yet to publicly respond to the appeal.
