Senegal’s Sadio Mane (AP Photo/Youssef Loulidi, File) NEW DELHI: Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph has been mired in controversy after the Confederation of African Football overturned the final result and awarded the title to Morocco months after the match.The decision sparked outrage in Senegal, with the government rejecting the decision and demanding accountability.In the original final, Senegal beat Morocco 1–0 after extra time, despite chaotic scenes late in normal time when Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch to protest the penalty decision. Although they returned and won, CAF later ruled that their temporary exit violated the competition’s rules.
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ISL Highlights: Kerala Blasters vs Chennaiyin FC on March 7In explaining the reversal, CAF cited regulations which state that any team that leaves the pitch without permission should lose the match 3-0. However, Senegal strongly disagreed. Government spokesperson Marie Rose Khady Fatou Faye said: “By challenging the result achieved at the end of a match that was properly played and won in accordance with the rules of the game, CAF is seriously undermining its own credibility.” She added: “Senegal unequivocally rejects this unjustified expropriation attempt” and called for “an independent international investigation into suspected corruption within CAF’s governing bodies”.
What will happen next?
Senegalese football authorities have confirmed they will challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The federation said: “The Senegalese Football Federation condemns this unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision which damages African football”.Morocco’s football body, meanwhile, argued that its appeal was only about enforcing the rules, saying it was “never intended to challenge sporting performance” but to ensure compliance.The controversy stems from a tense finish to the match, including a late penalty awarded after a VAR review and crowd trouble disrupting play. Sadio Mane helped calm the situation before play resumed.With both sides standing firm, the final outcome of the tournament now hinges on court proceedings, leaving one of Africa’s biggest football events under a cloud.
