Morocco won their first Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in 1976 amid significant controversy, as the final match saw the Moroccan team stage a 15-minute walkout protesting a Zambian referee's red card decision against them. Following a 1–1 draw with Guinea, Morocco finished atop the final-round group, causing Guinea to now demand a title review.
The 1976 tournament was decided by a final group stage rather than a single match. Going into the last game, Morocco faced Guinea, needing only a draw to win the title.
The Walkout: Around the 80th minute, with Guinea leading 1–0 through a 33rd-minute goal by Chérif Souleymane, Referee N. Chayu sent off Morocco's Abdallah Semmat. The Moroccan players and staff left the pitch in protest against the decision for roughly 15 minutes.
The Outcome: The players returned, and Ahmed Makrouh equalized in the 86th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw. This result allowed Morocco to finish with 5 points, one ahead of Guinea.
Modern Controversy: In March 2026, the Guinean Football Federation demanded the return of the 1976 trophy, arguing that the incident should be reassessed based on current Confederation of African Football (CAF) regulations. They cite recent precedents where a team (Senegal) lost a title due to a walkout, arguing similar rules should apply retroactively to 1976.