The Guinea Football Federation has called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to review the outcome of the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), citing Morocco’s brief walkout during a decisive match and a recent CAF ruling against Senegal.
The appeal comes after CAF stripped Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title 58 days after the tournament, awarding hosts Morocco the championship as a sanction for Senegal’s walkout despite winning on the pitch.
Guinea argues that similar disciplinary principles should be applied retrospectively to historical matches.
The federation pointed to the 1976 showdown between Morocco and Guinea, held under a four-team round-robin format. Morocco only needed a draw to claim the title, while Guinea required a win.
Chérif Souleymane put Guinea ahead in the 33rd minute, prompting Moroccan players to briefly leave the field in protest over a refereeing decision.
They eventually returned, and Ahmed Makrouh equalised in the 86th minute, ending the match 1-1. Morocco topped the group with five points, securing the championship, while Guinea finished second.
Guinea insists the incident should be reassessed under the same principles applied in CAF’s 2025 ruling.
The federation stated, “Give us back our 1976 AFCON trophy,” calling for retroactive sanctions in cases where teams abandoned the pitch during play.
The controversy has sparked renewed scrutiny of past tournaments, particularly in light of CAF awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory after Senegal’s walkout in 2025.
Sports legal analysts caution that CAF’s current regulations, including Article 84, were not in force in 1976 and are rarely applied retroactively.
CAF has yet to respond to Guinea’s request, but observers say the appeal could test the governing body’s willingness to revisit historic decisions.