CAF under pressure as Guinea contests Morocco’s 1976 AFCON win

Guinea Football Federation has called on the Confederation of African Football to review the outcome of the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations, citing what it describes as inconsistencies following a recent ruling involving Senegal.

The appeal comes after CAF stripped Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title over a walkout incident and awarded victory to hosts Morocco, despite Senegal having won on the pitch.

Guinea’s football authorities argue that similar disciplinary standards should be applied retroactively, pointing to a key moment during the 1976 tournament, which was decided through a four-team round-robin format.

In the decisive match between Morocco and Guinea, the latter took the lead in the 33rd minute through Chérif Souleymane. Moroccan players briefly left the pitch in protest over a refereeing decision before returning to continue the game. Ahmed Makrouh later equalised in the 86th minute, securing a 1-1 draw that allowed Morocco to win the title with five points, while Guinea finished second.

Guinea has now urged CAF to reassess that result under the same principles applied in the 2025 ruling. “Give us back our 1976 AFCON trophy,” the federation said, adding that sanctions should apply in cases where teams walk off the pitch during matches.

The recent CAF decision to award Morocco a 3-0 victory over Senegal has reignited debate over historical officiating and disciplinary standards, with Guinea arguing that consistency should extend to past tournaments.

However, sports legal analysts have noted that regulations such as Article 84, cited in the Senegal case, were not in force in 1976 and are rarely applied retroactively. CAF has yet to respond to the request, with observers suggesting the appeal could test the organisation’s willingness to revisit historical decisions.