Following an appeal by the Moroccan Football Federation, African football’s governing body reversed its decision on Tuesday evening, awarding the title to Morocco despite losing the final of the 35th Africa Cup of Nations (0-1) to Senegal on January 18. The Senegalese federation announced it would appeal, while the government demanded an international investigation into alleged corruption within the CAF’s leadership.
«This isn’t April Fool’s Day,» «the joke of the century.» Media outlets across Europe and Africa were stunned by the African Football Confederation’s (CAF) decision. The CAF appeals jury stripped Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations title just two months after a chaotic final, awarding it to Morocco instead. In a Tuesday statement, the body—responding to a Moroccan federation appeal—declared Senegal’s team «forfeited» in the final, despite the Lions of Teranga’s 1-0 victory after extra time, with the match now recorded as a 3-0 win for Morocco.
The Senegalese federation immediately announced plans to appeal, while the government called for an international probe into alleged corruption within CAF leadership. «Senegal unequivocally rejects this unjust attempt at dispossession,» stated Marie Rose Khady Fatou Faye, government spokesperson.
Key Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations
Senegal’s federation condemned the decision as «unprecedented, unjust, and unacceptable, bringing shame on African football.» It confirmed plans to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne within days. Secretary-General Abdoulaye Sow told local newspaper Le Soleil that the trophy would not be handed over: «CAF is rotten—the global outrage over this decision proves it. The president of the Senegalese federation is consulting all stakeholders. This fight is far from over. I assure all Senegalese: the country has the right and the victory. The cup stays in Senegal.»
What really happened on January 18?
The match had ended with Senegal’s historic 1-0 win in extra time. Yet the final moments were marred by controversy. In stoppage time, Morocco was awarded a penalty for a questionable foul by Senegal’s Diouf on Brahim Díaz. Senegalese players protested, claiming the referee had earlier missed a clear penalty opportunity in the opposite box. Coach Pape Thiaw ordered his team off the pitch in protest, sparking chaos in the stands where Senegalese fans threw objects and stormed the field. Only Sadio Mané remained on the pitch. After a 15-minute interruption, play resumed, Brahim Díaz missed the penalty with a Panenka attempt, and Senegal sealed victory with a left-footed strike from Pape Gueye.
Nearly two months later, the CAF dropped a bombshell: Senegal was declared forfeit under Article 84, with the result amended to a 3-0 win for Morocco. Article 84, dealing with sanctions, references Article 82, which states that «if a team leaves the field before the match ends without the referee’s permission, it will be considered defeated and eliminated.»
Legal precedent: Wydad Casablanca vs Espérance Tunis
The Moroccan Football Federation stated it had «never sought to challenge sporting merit but only to enforce competition regulations.» A source close to the federation cited a 2019 precedent when Wydad Casablanca walked off the pitch during the CAF Champions League final due to a VAR malfunction, leading to Espérance Tunis being declared winners three months later.
Late January saw CAF’s disciplinary jury impose heavy fines on both federations for unsportsmanlike conduct and breaches of fair play, though it did not overturn the match result. Meanwhile, the trial of 18 Senegalese fans, jailed since the final and facing sentences from three months to a year for hooliganism, has been postponed to March 30.
Related keywords