By Philomina Brando
The Guinea Football Federation has called on the Confederation of African Football to review Morocco’s victory at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations, citing a controversial walkout during the decisive match.
The request follows CAF’s recent decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title over a walkout incident, despite winning on the pitch, and subsequently awarding the trophy to Morocco.
In a statement, the Guinean federation insisted that the same disciplinary standards should be applied to past tournaments, particularly the 1976 clash between Guinea and Morocco.
“Give us back our 1976 AFCON trophy,” the federation said, arguing that teams that leave the pitch during a match should be sanctioned.
The final round match, played under a four-team round-robin format, saw Guinea take the lead in the 33rd minute through Chérif Souleymane.
However, the encounter turned controversial when Moroccan players briefly walked off the pitch in protest over a refereeing decision before later returning to continue the game.
Morocco equalised in the 86th minute through Ahmed Makrouh, with the match ending 1-1 — a result that secured the title for the North Africans with five points, while Guinea finished second.
The federation maintained that the incident should be reassessed using the same principles applied in the 2025 ruling.
“The recent decision shows that such actions have consequences. The same should apply to past matches where similar incidents occurred,” it added.
However, sports legal experts have noted that CAF regulations, including Article 84, were not in force in 1976 and are rarely applied retroactively.
CAF has yet to officially respond to the request, but analysts say the move could test the body’s willingness to revisit historical decisions in African football.