The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has sensationally stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations title, awarding a 3-0 win to Morocco after an unprecedented ruling. The decision, announced on Tuesday evening, stems from a walkout protest by Senegal's coach and players during the final in Rabat in January.
During the match, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw and several players left the pitch for 15 minutes in protest at a penalty awarded to Morocco. They returned after captain Sadio Mané implored them to, and Brahim Díaz's subsequent spot-kick was saved, sending the game into extra time. Pape Gueye scored the winning goal for Senegal.
Caf's appeal board ruled that Senegal forfeited the final under article 84 of the competition regulations, and that the Senegalese Football Federation infringed article 82 through the conduct of its team. The initial disciplinary hearing had imposed fines and bans but left the result unchanged.
Senegal are expected to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Defender Moussa Niakhaté, who played in the final, criticised the ruling on Instagram, posting a picture of himself holding the trophy with the caption: “Come and get them. They are crazy.”
Almost a million supporters had lined the streets of Dakar to celebrate Senegal's second Afcon title. Morocco, who had not won the competition since 1976, were heavy favourites as hosts. The Moroccan football federation stated that their approach was solely to request the application of regulations, not to challenge sporting performance.
