CAF executive condemns 'abject' AFCON decision to award title to Morocco

Senghor did not hold back in his assessment of the situation, telling the BBC World Service that the ruling was fundamentally flawed. "In a situation like this, we have to fight against injustice. Football is fair play, football is played on the field, not in offices. What happened with CAF was unacceptable," Senghor stated. He added: "When you see a committee taking such a decision in violation of our rules, in violation of the FIFA laws of the game, to take the trophy and give it to Morocco, I think it is something very abject. We have to denounce it."

The controversy stems from the chaotic final in Rabat, where Senegal players walked off the pitch in protest after Morocco were awarded a late penalty. Although the game eventually resumed—with Brahim Diaz missing the subsequent spot-kick against Edouard Mendy—Senegal went on to win the match 1-0 in extra time. However, CAF later ruled that the initial protest constituted a forfeit, handing Morocco a 3-0 victory two months after the final whistle.

CAF has cited Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations to justify the decision. These rules specify that if a team "refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee," they are deemed to have lost 3-0. Despite the technicality, the decision has sparked outrage across the continent and led to accusations of administrative overreach.

The Senegalese Football Federation (SFF) has confirmed it will not take the decision lying down, announcing an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland. The situation has even escalated to a political level, with the Senegalese government officially calling for an "independent international investigation into suspected corruption" regarding the ruling that favoured the tournament hosts.

While Morocco have welcomed the decision to be crowned champions, the legal battle is far from over. Senegal's leadership remains adamant that the sporting result achieved on the pitch should stand, regardless of the brief disruption caused by their protest against the officiating during the tense final moments in Rabat.

The fallout has also impacted the coaching staff, with Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw receiving a suspension for his role in leading the players off the pitch. However, the ban will only apply to the upcoming AFCON qualifiers, meaning he will still be available for the World Cup in June, an event for which both Morocco and Senegal have successfully qualified.