Senegal have been sensationally stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations title in an unprecedented ruling by the Confederation of African Football (Caf). The appeal board decided that Senegal forfeited the final against Morocco, awarding the hosts a 3-0 victory.
The incident occurred during the final in Rabat in January, when Senegal's head coach Pape Thiaw and several players left the pitch for 15 minutes in protest at Morocco being awarded a penalty. They were eventually persuaded to return by captain Sadio Mané, and went on to win the match in extra time with a goal from Pape Gueye.
Caf's initial disciplinary hearing imposed fines and bans but left the result intact. However, the appeal board ruled that Senegal had breached article 82 of the tournament regulations, declaring the team to have forfeited the match under article 84. Senegal are expected to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Defender Moussa Niakhaté, who played in the final, took to Instagram with a picture of him holding the trophy, writing: 'Come and get them. They are crazy.' Almost a million fans had lined the streets of Dakar to celebrate what was Senegal's second Afcon title.
The Moroccan football federation welcomed the ruling, stating it had sought only the application of regulations, not to challenge the sporting performance. Morocco had not won the competition since 1976 and were heavy favourites as hosts.
