The Guinean Football Federation (FGF) has dismissed reports suggesting that it filed an appeal with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to challenge Morocco’s 1976 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) victory.
The clarification comes after viral rumours claimed Guinea demanded the 1976 AFCON trophy, citing a reported walkout by Morocco during the final match of the tournament. The reports gained traction following CAF’s Appeals Board decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title and award it to Morocco, leading to speculative links with past tournaments.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the FGF described the claims as “inaccurate” and “without official basis.”
“In recent days, information circulating on various media, particularly social networks, has falsely suggested that Guinea had taken steps to contest the result of the match between the Syli National and Morocco during this competition,” the statement read. “The Guinean Football Federation wishes to clarify, in a spirit of responsibility and reconciliation, that this information is inaccurate and has no official basis.”
The federation also provided historical context on the 1976 AFCON final round. The Guinea-Morocco match, played on March 14, 1976, in Addis Ababa under Zambian referee Nyirenda Chayu, ended in a 1-1 draw. Guinea opened the scoring in the 33rd minute through Chérif Souleymane, while Morocco equalised in the 86th minute via Ahmed Makrouh, known as “Baba.”
The tournament format at the time was a round-robin final round, with eight teams split into two groups of four, and the top two teams from each group advancing. By the final game, only Morocco and Guinea were still in contention for the title. Guinea required a win to claim the trophy, whereas a draw was sufficient for Morocco, whose late equaliser secured their first AFCON championship.
Meanwhile, CAF has officially updated its records to recognise Morocco as the champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with Senegal listed as runners-up. The Senegalese Football Federation has confirmed it filed an urgent appeal against the CAF Appeals Board verdict before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.