Morocco's victory at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia is back in the news. As social media erupts, one question remains: did the Atlas Lions abandon the pitch during that historic final? This controversy arises amidst an unprecedented crisis for African football.

The 2025 AFCON earthquake: A victory by default

Everything changed on March 17, 2026. The CAF jury officially declared Morocco the winner of the 2025 AFCON , overturning the result achieved on the field by Senegal.

As a reminder, during the final, the Senegalese players briefly left the pitch to protest a penalty awarded to Brahim Diaz. While Sadio Mané managed to convince his teammates to resume play—allowing Édouard Mendy to save Diaz's missed "panenka" penalty and Senegal to win 1-0—the CAF ruled two months later:

1. Sanction: Morocco wins by forfeit (3-0).
2. Reason: Violation of the Laws of the Game prohibiting abandonment of the field before the final whistle.
3. Reaction: Senegal immediately appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The Rémy N'gono controversy: A precedent in 1976?

It was in this tense atmosphere that consultant Rémy N'gono stirred things up. According to him, Morocco committed the same infraction during the 1976 final against Guinea, without ever being sanctioned. This assertion prompted many Guinean internet users to call on their authorities to retroactively claim the 1976 title.

The formal denial: "That's completely false."

Faced with the scale of the rumor, Guinean journalist Tanou Diallo set the record straight on March 18, 2026. He collected the testimony of a direct participant in this 1976 match: Ismaël Sylla , alias "Eusébio", former player of the Syli National.

“I experienced this match. I played for 90 minutes. There was never an incident during this match. Anyone who tells you that the Moroccans had given up the match is mistaken: it is totally false,” the former international insisted.

Despite this eyewitness account, the debate remains heated on the web, with some skeptics believing that a single statement is not enough to erase doubts about this 50-year-old final.