Morocco handed AFCON crown after Senegal stripped of title in stunning U-turn
Mark Strijbosch
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African football has been left staring at one of the wildest reversals the competition has ever seen after Morocco were officially declared Africa Cup of Nations champions, with Senegal stripped of the title they thought they had won back in January. CAF’s Appeal Board overturned the original result of the final in Rabat and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory by forfeit after ruling that Senegal breached tournament regulations by walking off the pitch during the match.
CAF overturns final after Senegal walk-off protest
That original final had already been soaked in chaos. Senegal were leading Morocco into the final moments when a late penalty was awarded to the hosts, prompting furious protests from the Senegal bench and players. In the middle of the uproar, Senegal temporarily left the field in protest. They eventually returned after of around 14 to 15 minutes, Morocco missed the penalty, after Brahim Diaz's panenka mishap, and Senegal went on to win 1-0 after extra time. For a while, that looked like the end of it. It was anything but.
Why CAF changed the result
Morocco appealed, and CAF’s Appeal Board has now decided that Senegal’s walk-off amounted to a forfeit under the competition rules. Reuters reported that CAF cited Articles 82 and 84, which cover teams leaving the field without the referee’s permission. In other words, the governing body decided the protest itself crossed a line that could not be patched over simply because the game later resumed.
It is a decision with enormous consequences. Instead of Senegal celebrating what would have been another major continental title, Morocco have now been handed the trophy and recorded as 3-0 winners. The ruling means Morocco are now credited with their second AFCON crown and their first since 1976, a wait of half a century ended not by a last-gasp winner, but by a legal thunderbolt.
Fury in Senegal, joy in Morocco
Unsurprisingly, the reaction has been fierce. Senegal’s football federation has condemned the ruling and plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, calling the decision unacceptable. The sense in Senegal is that a title has been taken away in a committee room, months after the confetti had already fallen.
Morocco, meanwhile, have framed the outcome around respect for the rules rather than celebration at Senegal’s expense. Reports on Wednesday said the Moroccan response focused on the need to uphold regulations, even if the manner of their triumph will leave a strange taste across the continent.
However, it is dressed up; this is an extraordinary ending. AFCON finals are supposed to be settled by goals, saves and nerve. This one has ended with appeals, legal language and a result rewritten after the fact. Morocco have the title. Senegal have the outrage. African football has a controversy that will rumble on well beyond the final whistle.
