Guinea Demand Review of 1976 AFCON Title After CAF Strips Senegal of AFCON 2025 Title
The Guinea Football Federation has called on the Confederation of African Football to reopen the final outcome of the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations, pointing to Morocco’s brief walkout during their decisive clash and a recent ruling involving Senegal.
Guinea’s demand comes after CAF controversially reversed the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, stripping Senegal national football team of the title despite their victory on the pitch. In that decision, CAF sanctioned Senegal for a walkout and awarded the trophy to hosts Morocco national football team 58 days after the tournament.
Reacting to the development, Guinea argued that the same disciplinary standards should be applied to past competitions. The federation specifically cited the decisive 1976 encounter between Guinea national football team and Morocco, played under a four-team round-robin format.
In that match, Guinea took the lead in the 33rd minute through Chérif Souleymane, putting them on course for the title, as Morocco only needed a draw. However, Moroccan players briefly left the pitch in protest over a refereeing decision before returning to continue the game.
Late in the match, Ahmed Makrouh scored an equaliser in the 86th minute to secure a 1-1 draw, a result that handed Morocco the title with five points, while Guinea finished second.
Guinea now insists that the incident should be reassessed using the same principles applied in the 2025 ruling. In a strong statement, the federation declared: “Give us back our 1976 AFCON trophy,” adding that sanctions should apply in any case where a team leaves the pitch during play, regardless of when it occurred.
The recent CAF decision to award Morocco a 3-0 win following Senegal’s walkout has reignited debate around historical fairness in African football. However, sports legal experts have pointed out that key regulations, including Article 84, were not in place in 1976 and are rarely enforced retrospectively.
CAF is yet to issue an official response to Guinea’s request, but observers believe the appeal could test the governing body’s readiness to revisit long-standing decisions in African football history.
