The jury of the African Football Confederation (CAF) has ruled that Senegal forfeited their victory in the chaotic African Cup of Nations final, handing the title to Morocco instead. The decision was made after Senegalese players temporarily abandoned the pitch in protest during the match.

“An unjust decision,” Senegalese federation protests

The CAF, responding to a complaint from the Moroccan Football Federation, declared Senegal “forfeited” in the final, which Senegal had won 1-0 in extra time. The CAF instead recorded the score as a 3-0 victory for Morocco. The Senegalese federation condemned the decision as “unjust, unprecedented, and unacceptable,” vowing to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, “without delay.”

Social media erupts in outrage

Outrage spread across social media platforms as Senegalese players, including Olympique Lyonnais defender Moussa Niakhaté, posted provocative images on Instagram, holding the African Cup trophy with captions like “Come and get it! They’ve gone mad!” This followed the dramatic events of January 18 in Rabat, where Senegalese players briefly left the field in protest after a contentious referee decision. A penalty awarded to Morocco in stoppage time sparked the walkout, leading to 15 minutes of chaos on the pitch and in the stands, where Senegalese fans threw objects and attempted to storm the field. Moroccan winger Brahim Díaz later missed the decisive penalty.

During extra time, Senegal scored through Pape Gueye to take a 1-0 lead, but the CAF’s decision to override the original result has triggered widespread condemnation.

A controversial precedent

The CAF justified its ruling under articles 82 and 84 of the African Cup of Nations regulations, which state that if a team “refuses to play or leaves the field before the end of the match,” it will be considered defeated and eliminated from the competition. The Moroccan Football Federation, while accepting the decision, emphasized that its complaint was not about sporting performance but about strict adherence to the competition’s rules.

A precedent exists: in 2019, Espérance Sportive de Tunis was declared the winner of the CAF Champions League three months after Wydad Casablanca players abandoned the final pitch due to a VAR malfunction. While the match result was not overturned, both federations faced heavy fines for unsportsmanlike behavior and violations of fair-play principles. Meanwhile, legal proceedings for 18 Senegalese supporters arrested during the final, facing sentences ranging from three months to one year in prison for hooliganism, have been postponed until March 30.