CAF overturns Senegal win: Appeals board declares Morocco AFCON Champions

Africa Cup of Nations Title Awarded to Morocco

On Tuesday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that Morocco has been awarded the Africa Cup of Nations title following a ruling by appeals judges. The decision overturned Senegal’s victory in the final held in January.

The CAF appeals board declared that Senegal has forfeited the final, and the 1-0 extra-time win for Senegal has been changed to a 3-0 default win in favor of host nation Morocco.

The final, which took place on January 18 in Rabat, saw Senegal's team, led by coach Pape Thiaw, leave the field in protest for 15 minutes following a penalty awarded to Morocco during stoppage time. This incident led to attempts by fans to storm the field.

Upon resumption of play, Morocco's forward Brahim Diaz attempted a controversial penalty shot, which was saved by Senegal's goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. Subsequently, Senegal scored the only goal in extra time.

Prior to the penalty incident, Senegal had a goal ruled out for a foul by Abdoulaye Seck, though television replays indicated minimal contact with Morocco's defender Achraf Hakimi.

Disciplinary Actions and Future Appeals

An initial disciplinary hearing by CAF resulted in fines exceeding $1 million and bans for players and officials from both Senegal and Morocco, while the match result remained unchanged. The case may be subject to further appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

CAF cited article 82 of the tournament regulations as the basis for the decision to enforce the verdict on appeal. The article stipulates that if a team withdraws from a competition, fails to report for a match, refuses to play, or leaves the ground before the match ends without the referee's authorization, it shall be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition.

Based on reporting by Africanews.