The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday declared Morocco as winners of the Africa Cup of Nations on appeal – two months after the final was played.
Senegal, who beat hosts Morocco 1-0 on January 18 in Rabat were stripped of the title in a decision that stunned world football.
Why have Senegal been stripped of the Afcon title?
The title match was filled with controversy and the subsequent appeal decided Senegal had forfeited the game in the Moroccan capital when they walked off the pitch protesting a potentially decisive penalty in the closing stages.
The Senegal players stormed off the field when referee Jean-Jacques Ndala pointed to the spot following a VAR check deep in stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes.
The walk off, which lasted almost 17 minutes, was instigated by coach Pape Thiaw, and when the game was belatedly restarted, Brahim Diaz saw his 'Panenka' spot-kick saved by Edouard Mendy. The match went to extra time and Pape Gueye scored Senegal's winning goal.
CAF's appeal board cancelled that result and declared Morocco 3-0 winners.
The CAF stated that the conduct of the Senegal team fell “within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations”.
They state that “if, for any reason whatsoever, a team refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered the loser”.
The decision adds a dramatic subtext to what was already one of the most controversial matches in recent times. The final saw a walk-off and fights between players and spectators. Morocco have now won the African title for a second time.
Will Senegal challenge the ruling?
The Senegalese government has accused African football’s governing body of “corruption” in the wake of the decision.
Senegal’s football federation has already indicated it intends to appeal against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and the country’s government has now waded in.
It said in a post on X: “(Senegal) requests the opening of an independent international investigation into suspicions of corruption within the CAF’s governing bodies.”
The post described the decision to overturn the original result as “unprecedented” and added: “It proceeds from a manifestly incorrect reading of the rules, leading to a grossly illegal and profoundly unjust decision.”
Everton’s Idrissa Gueye, part of Senegal’s victorious squad, posted in an Instagram story: “Titles, trophies, medals … all of this is fleeting. What really counts is that each supporter can go home and be reunited with their family.
“The Senegalese people have shown what they are: dignified in victory, dignified in adversity. We know what we experienced that evening in Rabat. And that, no one can take away from us.”
What was the Moroccan reaction?
Morocco welcomed the verdict in an initial response which read: “The Federation wishes to recall that its approach has never been intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition’s regulations.
“The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, ensuring clarity in the competitive framework, and maintaining stability within African competitions. It also wishes to commend all the nations that took part in this edition of the AFCON, which has been a major moment for African football. The Federation will make an official statement tomorrow, after convening its governing bodies.”
The FMRF are expected to make a further statement on Wednesday evening.
