The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, held in Morocco in January 2025, between the host nation Morocco and Senegal, escalated into a major scandal that will go down in football history. Player boycotts during the match, the dramatic persuasion efforts of hero Mané, and the CAF's reversal of the result two months later. Furthermore, amid this chaos, World Cup semi-final winning coach Regragui made a sudden resignation.
So, what does that mean for the Japan national team?To conclude, this is a tailwind. Today, let's take a closer look at why.
Three-line summary of this article
1. AFCON final: Senegal forfeits the pitch -> Mané persuades them to return -> Wins in extra time -> 2 months later CAF overturns the result, Morocco wins
2. Coach Regragui resigns taking responsibility for the "defeat" → 12 days later CAF overturns the result... A tragedy where there was no need to resign
3. Coaching change 100 days before the World Cup. His successor is Uabi, who specializes in youth development. This causes major upheaval for Morocco, who reached the semifinals last time.
🏆 AFCON 2025 Final – An Unprecedented 90+5 Minute
January 18, 2026, Rabat, Morocco. The AFCON 2025 final, played in a stadium packed with approximately 60,000 spectators, entered second-half stoppage time with the score still 0-0.
From here, a somewhat unbelievable development awaited us.
Controversial call and Senegal's "withdrawal"
Immediately after Senegal's goal was disallowed by VAR intervention in the closing stages of added time, a penalty was then awarded to Morocco. Enraged by the succession of decisions, Senegal's coach Pape Thiaw signaled for the players to withdraw to the bench. Many players left the pitch, and the match...Interruption for about 18 minutesin an unprecedented situation.
The Moroccan home crowd erupted in boos and angry shouts, and it was Brahim Diaz, the Moroccan national team's number 10, who found himself standing as the penalty taker in the midst of this chaos. – Wow, this is tough.
🦁 Leo's Heroic Persuasion - "Leaving now would be the worst."
As his teammates disappeared into the locker room one by one, Sadio Mané was left on the pitch.
Mané later said, "To abandon the match just because the referee gave a penalty? That's the worst option for African football. It's better to lose." Television cameras captured Mané calling his teammates back after a brief conversation with Claude Le Roy on the touchline.
Thanks to Mané's persuasion, the Senegalese players returned to the pitch. This scene would give any football fan goosebumps.
Panenka penalty miss -> Extra time -> Senegal wins... or so it should have been
After the match resumed, Brahim Díaz's Panenka penalty kick was saved by goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. Senegal, gaining momentum, scored the winning goal in extra time through Pape Gueye, becoming champions of Africa for the second time in their history, for the first time in two tournaments, with a score of 1-0.It was supposed to happen..
⚖️ A stunning reversal in 2 months - CAF overturns the decision
Here's where the story takes an even more surprising turn. On March 17, 2026, the CAF (Confederation of African Football) Appeals Committee made a shocking decision.
CAF Appeals Committee ruling
Senegal was declared to have forfeited the final match, and the result was changed to a 3-0 victory for Morocco.Morocco won the AFCON 2025.
The act of the Senegalese player leaving the pitch (which caused an interruption of approximately 18 minutes) was deemed a disciplinary offense. The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has vehemently protested this, calling it a "farce" and announcing their intention to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Mane also sharply criticized, calling it "a shame for Africa." — To be honest, it's a situation where you don't know whose side you should be on. But as a Japan national team fan, I'm concerned about the "impact" of this confusion.
😢 Lecca's Tragedy - "Championship" 12 Days After Resignation
The person in the most regrettable position during this series of disturbances was the Moroccan national team's coach, Walid Regragui. Those who read this blog will remember the "Miracle of Qatar" in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where Morocco successively defeated Belgium, Spain, and Portugal to reach the semi-finals, right? He is that masterful coach.
"Defeat" in a home game and severe criticism
At AFCON 2025, winning the title as the host nation was the paramount objective. After losing 0-1 to Senegal in the final, Morocco faced a storm of heavy criticism from within the country. Calls to hold those responsible accountable for failing to win the championship on home soil for the first time in 37 years (since 1988) grew louder with each passing day.
⚡ Resignation by Lightning Strike - 100 Days Until World Cup Kickoff
On March 5, 2026, Regragui announced his resignation via social media.
"The team needs a breath of fresh air. For the World Cup, my departure would be beneficial for the team."
With about 100 days left until the World Cup kicks off, this is an unusual timing. As I mentioned in a recent blog post on new rules, a managerial change in the middle of teams fine-tuning their tactics for the main event—just imagining it sends a shiver down my spine, doesn't it?
And 12 days later... the CAF declares "Morocco champions"
On March 17th, the CAF overturned the results and declared Morocco the champions—just 12 days after Regragui resigned.
"Resigned taking responsibility for AFCON runner-up" → Actually won the championship
I didn't need to quit. It's not a funny story.
Meaning for Japan: A tailwind?
Now, this is the most important part for the readers of this blog.
Morocco is a strong team, ranked 8th in the FIFA rankings (highest in Africa) and qualifying for the World Cup Africa qualifiers with an undefeated 8-game record. In the 2026 World Cup, they are in Group C with Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti. They will not have a direct match against Japan (Group F) in the group stage, butThere is a strong possibility we could face each other in the knockout stage..
🔍 Bracket analysis: Japan vs. Morocco, when do they play?
Actually, looking at this tournament's bracket, Group C (Morocco) and Group F (Japan) aredirectly cross in the Round of 32__OPENROUTER_FAILED__
orMatch 75__OPENROUTER_FAILED__
orMatch 76Group C winner vs. Group F runner-up (June 29, Arlington)
Moreover, from R32 onwards, it branches off into completely separate brackets, soJapan and Morocco's only chance to play each other is in the Round of 32.After that, they won't face each other in the semifinals or the finals.
Then, what are the probabilities of playing each other? According to bookmakers' odds, Brazil is the favorite to win Group C (approximately 80%), and Japan is most likely to finish second in Group F (approximately 50-55%). In other words,The most likely scenario is "Brazil (1C) vs. Japan (2F)".So, in this case, we won't face Morocco.
However, if Morocco surprisingly wins Group C (approx. 15-20%) or if Japan wins Group F ahead of the Netherlands (approx. 25-30%),Japan vs. Morocco direct showdown in Round of 32 happenswill do. Comprehensive AI analysis suggests,The probability is about 30-35%This calculates to once every three games, which is by no means a low number.
Last tournament's semifinalist performance was the real deal. However, there are clear causes for concern with Morocco right now.
📋 Morocco's sources of anxiety
| (data) item | Details |
|---|---|
| Managerial change | Three months before the World Cup, Regragui was replaced by Ouabi. Ouabi has a U-20 World Cup winning record, but no senior national team experience. |
| Team turmoil | AFCON controversy, coach resignation, CAF overturning results—the impact on players' mental health is immeasurable. |
| Tactical uncertainty | It's unknown how much the new manager can inherit and develop Reggiana's tactical foundation. |
| AFCON controversy tail | Criticism from within and outside Africa over the "walkover victory," raising questions about its legitimacy, casts a shadow over the team. |
Who is the new manager, Uabi?
His successor, Mohamed Ouabi, is a youth development coach who led Morocco to victory in the U-20 World Cup held in Chile in October 2025. He has 17 years of experience working with the academy at Anderlecht in Belgium. João Sacramento, former right-hand man to Mourinho, has been appointed as assistant coach.
His ability to develop young talent is undeniable, but he has zero experience in international tournaments with the senior national team. Whether they can overcome a tough group stage against Brazil and Scotland and advance to the knockout rounds is another question. Honestly, he might not be as much of a threat as he was in the previous tournament.
🏁 Summary: Morocco's Chaos and Japan's Opportunity
The uproar surrounding the AFCON 2025 final is not just an internal dispute within African football. It is a significant event that will also impact the landscape of the 2026 World Cup.
Summary of Impact on the Japanese National Team
Morocco, who reached the semi-finals last time, is facing significant uncertainty.
Changing the manager three months before the World Cup is a major handicap.
It's unlikely their previous level of organization can be expected in a knockout stage match.
However, talents like Hakimi, Ziyech, and Diaz are top-tier. Complacency is not an option.
I sympathize with Regragui's tragedy, but looking at it coolly, this turmoil is undoubtedly a tailwind for the Japanese national team. If Moriyasu Japan aims for the best 8 or beyond, Morocco's developments will be something to keep an eye on.
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*The information in this article is as of March 30, 2026. Depending on the outcome of Senegal's CAS appeal, the winner of AFCON 2025 may change again.
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