The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has sensationally stripped Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations title, awarding a 3-0 victory to Morocco after a walkout protest during the final in Rabat in January.
The head coach, Pape Thiaw, and several players left the pitch for 15 minutes in protest at Morocco being awarded a penalty. They eventually returned after being implored by captain Sadio Mané. Brahim Díaz’s subsequent spot-kick was saved, sending the match to extra time, where Pape Gueye scored the winning goal.
An initial disciplinary hearing imposed fines of more than $1m and bans on players and officials but left the result intact. However, on Tuesday, Caf’s appeal board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the final, citing a breach of regulations. The result is now recorded as 3-0 in favour of Morocco.
Senegal are expected to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Defender Moussa Niakhaté, who played in the final, appeared to hit out at the decision, posting on Instagram: “Come and get them,” alongside a picture of him holding the trophy. “They are crazy.”
The Moroccan Football Federation welcomed the ruling, stating it sought only to apply the competition’s regulations, not to challenge sporting performance. Almost a million supporters had lined the streets of Dakar to celebrate Senegal’s second Afcon title the day after the final.
