Senegal have lost their Africa Cup of Nations crown after CAF ruled that the team forfeited the final against Morocco following a protest during the match. As a result, Morocco have officially been awarded a 3 0 win in one of the most dramatic decisions in the tournament’s history.
The ruling came after Senegal’s head coach Pape Thiaw and several players left the pitch for around 15 minutes in the January final in Rabat. The protest followed a penalty being given to Morocco, a moment that caused major tension during the game.
CAF overturns the result after appeal decision
CAF confirmed on Tuesday that its appeal board had decided to change the outcome of the final. According to the decision, Senegal were found to have broken tournament regulations through the actions of the team during the match.
The governing body said Senegal must be considered to have forfeited the final, which means the score is now officially recorded as a 3 0 victory for Morocco. This reverses the original outcome on the field, where Senegal had gone on to win after extra time.
Walkout protest changed the course of the final
The turning point came when Morocco were awarded a penalty and Senegal’s bench and some players reacted by leaving the field in protest. They eventually returned after captain Sadio Mané urged them to continue.
Morocco then had the chance to score from the spot, but Brahim Díaz saw his penalty saved. The match went into extra time, where Pape Gueye scored what had been the winning goal for Senegal before the later disciplinary process changed everything.
Senegal expected to keep fighting the decision
At the first disciplinary hearing, CAF had issued fines worth more than $1 million and also handed bans to players and officials from both sides, while keeping the match result unchanged. The latest appeal ruling has now gone much further by taking the title away from Senegal.
The Senegalese federation is expected to challenge the verdict at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Defender Moussa Niakhaté also appeared to criticize the outcome publicly, posting a photo with the trophy and writing a short message aimed at the decision.
Morocco finally receive the title after long wait
For Morocco, the ruling ends a long wait for continental success. The hosts had gone into the tournament as one of the main favourites and had been chasing their first AFCON title since 1976.
In its response, the Moroccan federation said its position was never about questioning the effort of any team, but about insisting that the tournament rules be applied correctly. The federation also said it remained committed to respecting regulations and preserving order in African competitions.
