Senegal’s football authorities have announced plans to challenge the decision to strip the country of its Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, describing the ruling as unjust and unprecedented.
“The Senegalese Football Federation condemns this unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision, which brings African football into disrepute,” the federation said in a statement.
“To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the federation will, as soon as possible, file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.”
The development follows a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board to overturn the result of the final and award a 3-0 forfeiture victory to Morocco after determining that Senegal breached competition regulations.
CAF stated that, after reviewing Morocco’s appeal, “the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match” and that the result was “officially recorded as 3-0” in favour of the hosts.
The ruling was based on Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, which stipulate that any team that “refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee” will be deemed to have lost the match and eliminated from the competition. The provisions further state that such a team “will lose its match by 3-0.”
The controversy stems from dramatic scenes during the final in Rabat on January 18, when several Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest after a late penalty was awarded to Morocco following a VAR review.
Although the players eventually returned to complete the match—reportedly after being persuaded by captain Sadio Mané—tensions persisted. Morocco failed to convert the penalty, and Senegal went on to secure a 1-0 victory in extra time through Pape Gueye’s decisive strike.
Reacting to the ruling, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) clarified that its appeal was procedural rather than a challenge to on-field performance.
“The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, to the clarity of the competitive framework, and to the stability of African competitions,” it said.
The match itself was marred by chaotic incidents, including a near pitch invasion by supporters and a prolonged stoppage of nearly 20 minutes as Senegal players protested the penalty decision awarded by referee Jean-Jacques Ndala.
Following the announcement of the overturned result, several Senegal players expressed their frustration on social media, while the federation reiterated its determination to pursue legal redress.
“The Senegalese Football Federation condemns this unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision, which brings African football into disrepute,” the statement repeated, confirming that an appeal to CAS would be filed “as soon as possible.”
The case is now set to move to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where Senegal will seek to overturn CAF’s decision and restore the title won on the pitch.
