Senegal say they will appeal after they were sensationally stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title on Tuesday and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) instead declared Morocco champions.
CAF had, in a statement on Tuesday, said that having studied Morocco’s appeal, “the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match” and the result was “officially recorded as 3-0” in favour of Morocco.
Several Senegalese players controversially walked off the pitch in Rabat during the final on January 18 in protest when the hosts were awarded a penalty late in second-half stoppage time.
After Senegal’s players eventually returned having been coaxed back onto the pitch by captain Sadio Mane, Morocco missed the penalty and Pape Gueye went on to score the goal in extra time that gave his team a 1-0 victory.
CAF overturns 2025 AFCON final result, declares Morocco winners
However, Senegal’s football authorities, in a statement, said they will appeal “as soon as possible” to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“The Senegalese Football Federation condemns this unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision, which brings African football into disrepute,” it added.
In January, CAF imposed a series of disciplinary sanctions, including fines amounting to several hundred thousand euros, on the federations of both countries for unsportsmanlike conduct and violations of fair play principles.
The appeal trial of 18 Senegalese supporters, imprisoned since the final and sentenced to prison terms ranging from three months to one year for “hooliganism,” which was scheduled to take place on Monday, has been postponed until March 30.
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