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 a dramatic walkout protest by the Senegalese team during the final in Rabat in January.
Caf's appeal board ruled that Senegal forfeited the match after head coach Pape Thiaw and some players left the pitch for 15 minutes in protest at a penalty awarded to Morocco. They returned only after captain Sadio Mané implored them to, but the subsequent spot-kick was saved, and Senegal went on to win in extra time through Pape Gueye.
In a statement, Caf said the appeal board decided that Senegal 'infringed article 82 of the regulations' and that the result would be recorded as 3-0 in favour of Morocco. 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 and saying, 'Come and get them. They are crazy.' Almost a million supporters had lined the streets of Dakar to celebrate the title.
The Moroccan football federation welcomed the decision, stating it sought only to ensure the application of competition regulations and reaffirmed its commitment to 'maintaining stability within African competitions.'
