Morocco have been crowned Africa Cup of Nations winners after a major ruling on Tuesday overturned Senegal’s victory two months after the final.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board has ruled that Senegal have been stripped of their title for walking off the pitch in protest at Morocco being awarded a late penalty.
After CAF’s dramatic ruling, Senegal are “declared to have forfeited” with the “result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco, who are now celebrating their second AFCON title.
A statement read: “The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article 84 of the regulations…the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the final match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations with the result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour of [Morocco].
“All other motions or prayers for relief are dismissed.”
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Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd reflect on the controversial penalty decision in the AFCON final that saw Senegal players leave the pitch.
The ruling is the result of an appeal made by Moroccan football’s governing body, the FRMF, who welcomed the verdict in an initial response which read: “The Federation wishes to recall that its approach has never been intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition’s regulations.
“The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, ensuring clarity in the competitive framework, and maintaining stability within African competitions. It also wishes to commend all the nations that took part in this edition of the AFCON, which has been a major moment for African football. The Federation will make an official statement tomorrow, after convening its governing bodies.”
Among the Senegal players to lose their champion status are former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane, Everton pair Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye, Chelsea’s Mamadou Sarr and his on-loan team-mate Nicolas Jackson, West Ham’s El Hadji Malick Diouf and Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr.
Manchester United’s Noussair Mazraoui, meanwhile, can savour a belated triumph alongside PSG’s Achraf Hakimi and Real Madrid’s Diaz.
Sadio Mane was urging his Senegal players back on the pitch as they left in protest
Senegal could yet appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Sky Sports News has contacted Senegal for comment.
What happened in the final?
Referee Jean-Jacques Ndala pointed to the spot in stoppage-time of January’s final following a VAR check for Malick Diouf’s challenge on Brahim Diaz, which prompted Senegal boss Pape Thiaw, who was already unhappy with a late disallowed goal for his side, to send his players to the dressing room.
Former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane ordered his Senegal team-mates to return to the pitch, and when they did after a 16-minute delay, Morocco’s Diaz saw his Paneka penalty saved by Edouard Mendy, sending the final to extra-time.
Pape Gueye then struck the winner for Senegal in extra-time but there was unrest in the crowd and recriminations in the aftermath.
What was said after?
After the game, Morocco head coach Walid Regragui said the image of Africa is “shameful” after Senegal boss Thiaw led his players off the pitch.
“The image we’ve given of Africa is shameful,” he said. “A coach who asks his players to leave the field…what Pape did does not honour Africa.
“Thiaw wasn’t classy. But he is a champion, so he can say whatever he wants. We stopped the match in the eyes of the world for 10 minutes.”
Thiaw said he regretted taking his players off the pitch.
“I don’t want to go over all the incidents. I apologise for the football,” he told BeIN Sports.
“After reflecting on it, I made them come back [on the pitch] – you can react in the heat of the moment.
“We accept the errors of the referee. We shouldn’t have done it, but it’s done and now we present our apologies to football.”
The Confederation of African Football said they condemned the “unacceptable behaviour of some players and officials” during the final.
Meanwhile, Mane, who played a key role in the Senegal players coming back onto the pitch to finish the match, added: “It would have been really a shame and sad to see this kind of thing, this kind of scenario happen. Imagine, just imagine for a second, going into the locker rooms and the football match stopped there. I think that would convey a negative image of our football; I think Africa today does not deserve that.
“African football has evolved in an incredible way and the proof is that it is followed all over the world. So, on my side, I did what I had to do, after I think we also had a bit of luck to have a goalkeeper like Edouard Mendy, who saved us once again, so, I think otherwise overall in the match, Senegal deserved to win.”
Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara revealed the role Mane played in restarting the match.
“We knew that today it was important to win this trophy, we were all determined to win it thanks to Sadio and we saw what he did today, it is just incredible,” he said.
“Well, we were in the dressing rooms, I was thinking of going with the 10 others, I think it was only him (Mane) who came in shouting, shouting at us to get out and go finish the match, so at the end he was right, we went out, we listened to him because when Sadio speaks everyone listens, we listened to him and finally it went well for us.”
