Conakry: Guinea Football Federation has urged the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to review the 1976 AFCON outcome, citing Morocco’s walkout and a recent ruling against Senegal.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the call from Guinea follows CAF’s decision to overturn the 2025 AFCON result as a sanction against Senegal for a walkout, despite the team’s victory on the field. In this decision, CAF stripped Senegal of the 2025 title 58 days after the tournament, declaring hosts Morocco as champions.
Guinea has argued that similar disciplinary standards should be applied to historical matches, referencing the decisive 1976 clash between Morocco and Guinea. The match, played under a four-team round-robin format, saw Morocco needing a draw to secure the title, while Guinea required a victory. Guinea took the lead in the 33rd minute with a goal from Ch©rif Souleymane. However, Moroccan players briefly walked off in protest over a refereeing decision but later returned to continue the match. Ahmed Makrouh equalized in the 86th minute, ending the game 1-1. Consequently, Morocco topped the group with five points to win the title, while Guinea finished second.
Guinea argues that the incident should be reassessed using the principles applied in the 2025 ruling. The federation has boldly stated, “Give us back our 1976 AFCON trophy,” insisting that retroactive sanctions should apply to instances where teams left the pitch during play. The CAF ruling awarding Morocco a 3-0 win after Senegal’s walkout has renewed scrutiny of past matches. Sports legal analysts have noted that CAF regulations, including Article 84, were not in force in 1976 and are rarely applied retroactively. CAF has yet to respond to Guinea’s request, and observers suggest that the appeal could test CAF’s willingness to revisit historical decisions.