The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially stripped Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title they secured in January, awarding the البطولة instead to Morocco national football team following a controversial ruling.
In a statement released Tuesday, CAF declared that Senegal had forfeited the final after several of their players temporarily walked off the pitch in protest of a late refereeing decision. The governing body ruled that the match, originally won 1-0 by Senegal, would instead be recorded as a 3-0 victory in favour of Morocco.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation clarified that its position was not aimed at disputing the sporting contest itself, but rather at ensuring that competition rules were properly enforced.
The final was overshadowed by chaotic scenes late in regulation time. With the match still goalless, a penalty was awarded to Morocco deep into stoppage time, sparking outrage from Senegal’s players, who left the pitch for nearly 20 minutes. Tensions escalated further as some Senegalese supporters attempted to invade the field, throwing objects before being restrained by security personnel.
When play resumed, Brahim Díaz missed the resulting penalty, his chipped effort easily saved by Édouard Mendy. Senegal capitalised on the reprieve, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal in extra time to seal what was initially a dramatic 1-0 victory.
The match, officiated by Jean-Jacques Ndala, had already been fraught with controversy. Earlier, Senegal had a goal disallowed for a foul after a header from Abdoulaye Seck rebounded off the post and was turned in by Ismaïla Sarr.
The game, played before a crowd of over 66,000 at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, had initially been celebrated as a historic triumph for Senegal. However, CAF’s ruling has now rewritten the outcome, handing the title to Morocco and bringing an unprecedented conclusion to one of AFCON’s most contentious finals.
