The Senegalese government has called for an “independent international investigation” into “suspected corruption” at African football’s governing body after it stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded it to Morocco.
Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in January’s final but the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the result on Tuesday because Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest when hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.
The players returned after a 17-minute delay, and Brahim Diaz’s ‘Panenka’ penalty for Morocco was saved before Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.
Following an appeal by the Moroccan FA (FRMF), Caf ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, with the “result being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.
In a statement the Senegalese government said the “unprecedented and exceptionally serious decision” was based on “a manifestly erroneous interpretation of the regulations, leading to a grossly illegal and deeply unjust decision”.
It said: “Senegal unequivocally rejects this unjustified attempt at dispossession.”
In a statement on Wednesday, FRMF said it “welcomes” the ruling by Caf, which “upholds respect for rules that are necessary for the proper functioning of international competition.”
It added: “This decision helps to clarify the framework applicable to similar situations in the future and contributes to the consistency and credibility of international competitions, particularly African football.”
Caf president Dr Patrice Motsepe said the incidents that took place during the final undermined the work the body had done to ensure “integrity, respect, ethics, governance, as well as credibility of the results of our football matches”.
“It is important that the decisions of our Caf disciplinary board and the Caf appeals board are viewed with the respect and integrity that is very important to us,” he added.
“Not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner which is more preferential or more advantageous or more favourable than any other.”
Fight is far from over – Senegal FA chief
Earlier on Wednesday, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said it would appeal against Caf’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), calling it “an unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision which brings discredit to African football”.
“This decision is a breach of trust that is not based on any rule of law,” FSF secretary general Abdoulaye Seydou Sow told Senegalese TV channel RTS 1.
“We felt that the jury wasn’t there to uphold the law, but to carry out an order.
“We will stop at nothing. The law is on our side. The fight is far from over. Senegal will defend its rights to the very end.”
Motsepe said Caf will “adhere” to and “respect” the decision taken by Cas.
Some Senegal players have suggested they will not relinquish their winners’ medals.
“We know what we experienced that evening in Rabat. And no-one can take that away from us,” Senegal and Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye said on social media.
The walk-off by Senegal prompted the International Football Association Board (Ifab), football’s lawmaking body, to open a consultation on how to deal with situations when “players unilaterally decide to leave the field of play, or team officials instigate such action, as a means of protest against a referee’s decision”.
Senegal’s players, apart from Sadio Mane, left the pitch after the award of a penalty for Morocco by referee Jean Jacques Ndala shortly after he had disallowed a goal by Ismaila Sarr at the other end.
Ndala gave the penalty in the 98th minute after being advised by the video assistant referee (VAR) to consult the pitchside monitor and review defender El Hadji Malick Diouf’s challenge on Diaz.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino said it was “unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner” and that the scenes “must be condemned and never repeated”.
During the tournament there was much debate about refereeing decisions and VAR, with accusations from some journalists that Morocco were treated favourably by some officials.
Senegal complained before the final about how they had been treated and expressed “serious concerns” over security when they arrived in Rabat for the game.
‘Game should not be won in the boardroom’
In its ruling to award Morocco the title, Caf also “partially upheld” an appeal against an incident involving ball boys in the final, and reduced the Moroccan FA’s fine for the incident.
In torrential rain, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy regularly dried his gloves, but the ball boys repeatedly tried to discard his towel.
At one point Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf was tackled to the ground by three ball boys and dragged around on the floor when he tried to intervene.
A fine for fans shining lasers at players on the pitch was also reduced by Caf.
Caf’s former head of disciplinary, Raymond Hack, questioned the decisions made by African football’s governing body and suggested there is a perception of “political interference” as “the president of the Moroccan Football Association [Fouzi Lekjaa] is the first vice-president of Caf”.
“The circus continues,” Hack told BBC World Service.
“A lot will depend on the referee’s written report, but the fact that the referee allowed the game to continue and they went into extra time gives the impression that he was satisfied that the game will continue.
“He is the only person who can call an end to the game. Not the authorities, not the governing bodies, only the referee.
“Otherwise you’re going to have situation worldwide where every time someone disagrees with a decision, they’re going to go on appeal or take it to court or something ridiculous like that.
“The game should be won on the field of play not in a boardroom.”
Hack, a lawyer and a member of Fifa’s disciplinary committee, said the Morocco players should have informed the referee they were playing under protest if they intended to challenge the result.
He also said it could take six months for Cas to rule on Senegal’s appeal.
Moroccan journalist Jalal Bounar told Newsday that Caf’s decision had been welcomed “with great excitement and joy across the country”.
“Morocco appealed the decision to the confederation of African football because they believed that Senegal had broken the rules during the match, and that’s why Moroccans went out to celebrate,” he said.
“If they give it to Senegal, it won’t be the end of the world. We will accept because we are satisfied that we reached the final.”
However, north African journalist Maher Mezahi said such a sentiment is not matched across the continent.
“It does seem like the rest of Africa feels outraged by this because it seems like, once again, the Confederation of African Football has almost disgraced the sport,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Mezahi cited Caf’s decision to ban Togo from two Africa Cup of Nations for quitting the 2010 competition following a gun attack on their team bus in Angola two days before the tournament.
Referring back to Caf’s decision on the 2025 final, he said: “They have, unfortunately, come up with a habit of releasing decisions like this – whether it’s the disciplinary committee or the appeals board – that eventually do get shot down at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but it makes the entire thing look very amateurish.”
