Senegal has condemned the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to strip the country of its Africa Cup of Nations title, calling for an “independent international investigation” into suspected corruption within the governing body.
The controversy followed the final match in Rabat on January 18, where several Senegalese players temporarily left the pitch in protest after Morocco was awarded a late penalty. The players, coaxed back by captain Sadio Mané, saw Morocco miss the penalty, but Pape Gueye scored in extra time to give Senegal a 1-0 victory.
However, on Tuesday, CAF overturned the result, declaring Senegal had forfeited the match and recording a 3-0 victory in favour of Morocco, citing regulations against leaving the field.
“By calling into question a result achieved at the end of a match that was properly played and won in accordance with the rules of the game, the CAF seriously undermines its own credibility,” government spokeswoman Marie Rose Khady Fatou Faye said in a statement.
“Senegal unequivocally rejects this unjustified attempt at dispossession,” she added, emphasizing the country’s call for an international probe into CAF’s governance.
Faye noted that Senegal will pursue all legal avenues, including appeals to competent international courts, to restore the primacy of sporting results. Meanwhile, the Senegalese Football Federation has asked CAF to suspend the execution of the decision and freeze all trophy-return procedures in Morocco, with plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 48 hours.
The statement also expressed solidarity with 18 Senegalese fans detained in Morocco for “hooliganism” during the match, who were sentenced in February to jail terms ranging from three months to a year and fines of up to $545. Senegal affirmed its commitment to monitoring the situation to ensure a fair outcome.
