Guinea Refutes Claims of Challenging Morocco’s 1976 AFCON Title

The Guinean Football Federation (FGF) has firmly dismissed reports alleging that it lodged an appeal with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to contest Morocco’s victory at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations.

The clarification comes amid widespread speculation suggesting that Guinea had called for the 1976 AFCON title to be reassigned, based on claims that Morocco staged a walkout during the decisive match of the tournament. The reports gained traction following recent developments involving CAF’s Appeals Board, which allegedly stripped Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title and awarded it to Morocco over regulatory breaches.

According to those claims, Senegal was found to have violated Articles 82 and 84 of AFCON regulations after some of its players reportedly walked off the pitch in protest during the final, prompting comparisons with historical tournaments and drawing Guinea into the narrative.

However, in an official statement released on Sunday, the FGF categorically rejected the reports, describing them as misleading and entirely unfounded.

“In recent days, information circulating across various media platforms, particularly on social networks, has falsely suggested that Guinea initiated steps to challenge the outcome of its match against Morocco during the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations,” the statement read.

“The Guinean Football Federation wishes to state clearly, in a spirit of responsibility and reconciliation, that such claims are inaccurate and have no official basis.”

To provide clarity, the federation also revisited the circumstances surrounding the 1976 tournament, which was held in Ethiopia under a different format from the modern AFCON structure.

At the time, eight teams were divided into two groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to a final round played in a round-robin format rather than a single-match final.

Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, and Guinea progressed to that decisive phase, with the title ultimately determined by points accumulated across the final round fixtures.

Heading into the last match, only Morocco and Guinea remained in contention for the trophy. Guinea required an outright victory to emerge champions, while Morocco needed only a draw to secure the title.

The decisive encounter took place on March 14, 1976, in Addis Ababa, officiated by Zambian referee Nyirenda Chayu. Guinea took the lead in the 33rd minute through Chérif Souleymane, raising hopes of a historic triumph.

However, Morocco responded late in the game, with Ahmed Makrouh, popularly known as “Baba,” scoring an equaliser in the 86th minute to secure a 1–1 draw— a result that was sufficient to crown Morocco champions of Africa for the first time.

The FGF emphasized that the outcome of that match and the tournament remains valid and has never been the subject of any official dispute from Guinea.

Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the 2025 AFCON title continues to unfold. CAF has reportedly updated its official records to list Morocco as champions, with Senegal placed as runners-up.

The Senegalese Football Federation has since confirmed that it has filed an urgent appeal against the CAF Appeals Board’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, setting the stage for a potentially significant legal battle over the tournament’s outcome.