Guinean Fans Call on CAF to Review 1976 AFCON Final After Morocco’s Recent Title Award
Supporters point to a similar incident of players leaving the pitch, arguing for a re-examination of the result.
Sections of Guinean football supporters are calling on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to review the outcome of the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which was won by Morocco .
The calls, which are circulating on social media and sports discussion platforms, follow recent decisions by CAF that have generated debate over the application of disciplinary measures in historical cases
Supporters argue that the decisive fixture involving Guinea and Morocco during the 1976 tournament should be re-examined . They claim the match was briefly interrupted after Moroccan players left the pitch in protest of a refereeing decision before returning to continue play and eventually secure the result.
Morocco went into their final group match against Guinea needing only a draw to win the title. Guinea needed a win.
Guinea took the lead in the 33rd minute when Cherif Souleymane scored. During the match, Moroccan players left the field briefly to protest a referee’s decision. They later returned and continued playing
Deep into the match, with four minutes left in regular time, Ahmed Makrouh scored for Morocco, ending in a 1-1 draw.
When the tournament ended, Morocco sat the top of the group with five points from three matches. Guinea finished second with four points. Morocco lifted the trophy for the first time in their history.
According to the supporters, such an incident could attract sanctions under current CAF regulations, including the possibility of forfeiture . They contend that if similar past incidents are now subject to review, then the 1976 case should also be considered .
The 1976 AFCON, hosted in Ethiopia, was decided using a final group format rather than a single championship match . Morocco finished top of the group, ahead of Guinea, to win the title.
This renewed debate comes just days after CAF made the dramatic decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title and award it to Morocco . That ruling stemmed from an incident in the final match where Senegalese players briefly walked off the pitch in protest during the game against Morocco.
CAF’s Appeals Board determined that this action violated Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations, which state that a team leaving the field without the referee’s authorization can be considered to have forfeited the match .
Supporters in Guinea now draw a parallel between that situation and the events of the 1976 match. They believe the precedent set by the recent decision should apply to the 1976 fixture involving their national team .