In an astonishing turn of events, the governing body of African football has awarded the Africa Cup of Nations title to Morocco, despite their 1-0 loss to Senegal in the final on January 18. The decision, made on Tuesday evening, came after an appeal by the Moroccan Football Federation. In response, the Senegalese federation has declared its intention to appeal, while the government is calling for an international investigation into what it terms “suspicions of corruption within the governing bodies of CAF,” the Confederation of African Football.
The decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has been met with disbelief across European and African media, with headlines describing it as “not an April Fool’s joke” and “the joke of the century.” Two months after a turbulent final, the CAF appeal jury has revoked the title won by Senegal and awarded it to Morocco. A statement released on Tuesday confirmed that the governing body, acting on Morocco’s appeal, had decided to “declare the Senegal national team forfeited during the final,” with the result officially recorded as a 3-0 victory for Morocco.
The Senegalese government and football federation have reacted with fury. On Wednesday, the government demanded an international inquiry into potential corruption within CAF’s leadership. Marie Rose Khady Fatou Faye, a spokesperson for the executive, stated, “Senegal unequivocally rejects this unjustified attempt at dispossession.”
The Controversial Application of CAN Regulations
The Senegalese federation has labeled the ruling “an unjust, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision that discredits African football.” It has also confirmed it will initiate “an appeal procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport” in Lausanne, Switzerland, as soon as possible.
Speaking to the Senegalese newspaper Le Soleil, FSF Secretary-General Abdoulaye Sow vowed not to surrender the trophy. “CAF is rotten; the global reaction to this decision confirms total indignation… The fight is far from over. I want to reassure all Senegalese people. Senegal has right and victory on its side. The cup will not leave the country.”
The incident dates back to January 18, during additional time in the second half of a tense CAN final. With the score still level, Morocco was awarded a penalty for a contentious foul by Diouf on Brahim Diaz. The decision enraged the Senegalese players, who felt they had been denied a clear penalty at the other end just moments earlier.
In the ensuing chaos, Senegal’s coach, Pape Thiaw, instructed his players to leave the pitch at the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat. Amidst general confusion and altercations in the stands, where Senegalese fans threw projectiles, only Sadio Mané remained on the field. After a 15-minute halt, play resumed. Brahim Diaz stepped up but missed the penalty with a failed Panenka attempt. Subsequently, Pape Gueye scored with a superb left-footed strike, securing what was believed to be the championship for Senegal.
Nearly two months of silence followed, until the shocking announcement that reversed Senegal’s on-field victory into an off-field defeat.
On Tuesday evening, the CAF appeal jury invoked Article 84 of the CAN regulations to declare Senegal forfeited. This article pertains to sanctions and references Article 82, which states that “if, for any reason, a team leaves the field of play before the regulatory end of the match without the referee’s authorization, it shall be considered the loser and shall be definitively eliminated from the current competition.”
A Precedent from the Wydad Casablanca Case
In a statement, the Moroccan football federation acknowledged the decision, clarifying that its “approach was never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams… but only to request the application of the competition’s regulations.”
A source close to the Moroccan Federation pointed out to AFP that a precedent exists. In 2019, Espérance Sportive de Tunis was declared the winner of the CAF Champions League three months after Wydad Casablanca players walked off the pitch during the final to protest a VAR malfunction.
In late January, CAF’s disciplinary jury had already imposed a series of sanctions without altering the match result, including fines of several hundred thousand euros for both federations due to unsportsmanlike conduct. Additionally, the appeal trial for 18 Senegalese supporters, who have been imprisoned since the final and received sentences ranging from three months to one year for “hooliganism,” was postponed from Monday to March 30.
