Cape Town: Morocco have been crowned champions of the Africa Cup of Nations after their appeal was upheld by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board, the continental governing body announced on Tuesday.
The decision overturns the original outcome of January’s final in Rabat, where Morocco had suffered a 1-0 defeat to Senegal after extra time in a match marred by controversy.
CAF confirmed that the match has now been awarded to Morocco with a 3-0 scoreline, ruling that Senegal forfeited the fixture following their walk-off during regulation time.
The incident occurred late in the match when a penalty was awarded to Morocco after a VAR review by referee Jean-Jacques Ndala. The decision followed a foul on Brahim Diaz inside the box during stoppage time, prompting strong احتجاجات from Senegal players and officials.
Tensions escalated on the pitch as players and staff from both sides confronted each other while the referee reviewed the incident on the touchline monitor. Following the confirmation of the penalty, Senegal players left the field in protest.
Although the team later returned and went on to score the winning goal in extra time, CAF’s Appeal Board determined that the earlier walk-off constituted a breach of competition regulations.
In its ruling, CAF cited Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, which stipulate that any team refusing to continue a match or leaving the field without the referee’s approval shall be deemed to have lost the match and be eliminated from the competition.
CAF’s disciplinary committee had initially dismissed Morocco’s protest, but the Appeal Board reversed that decision, concluding that Senegal’s conduct fell within the scope of the regulations governing forfeiture.
Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw, who instructed his players to leave the pitch, had earlier been sanctioned with a suspension limited to upcoming Cup of Nations qualifiers. Reports indicated that forward Sadio Mane played a key role in convincing the team to return and complete the match.
The latest ruling hands Morocco their second Africa Cup of Nations title, marking their first triumph in 50 years.
