Senegal’s government has formally called for an independent international investigation into alleged corruption within African football’s governing bodies after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped the national team of their Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded the championship to Morocco.
The controversy stems from the chaotic final match played on January 18 in Rabat, where Senegal’s players staged a dramatic walk-off protest in the closing minutes of stoppage time when the hosts were awarded a controversial penalty. After intervention from captain Sadio Mané, the Senegalese squad returned to the pitch, only to witness Moroccan forward Brahim Díaz miss the critical spot-kick. The match proceeded to extra time, where Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal that initially secured Senegal’s 1-0 victory.
Morocco’s football federation subsequently filed an appeal citing competition regulations, leading CAF’s Appeals Committee to invoke Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations. These provisions mandate that any team abandoning the pitch without referee authorization automatically forfeits the match 3-0. Based on this technicality, CAF officially declared Morocco champions on Tuesday.
Senegalese government spokeswoman Marie Rose Khady Fatou Faye condemned the decision as “an unjustified attempt at dispossession” that “seriously undermines CAF’s own credibility.” Meanwhile, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation maintained their appeal sought only “the application of the competition regulations” rather than challenging Senegal’s sporting performance.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe emphasized the governing body’s commitment to equitable treatment across all African nations, stating that no country receives preferential treatment. He additionally expressed support for Senegal’s right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which Senegalese football authorities have pledged to pursue promptly.
The original match was marred by multiple disruptions, including attempted pitch invasions by Senegalese supporters and nearly 20 minutes of stoppage time due to the penalty protest. The controversial penalty decision itself resulted from a VAR review of a challenge on Díaz by El Hadji Malick Diouf in the eighth minute of added time.
In the aftermath of CAF’s ruling, several Senegalese players expressed outrage on social media, with Lyon defender Moussa Niakhate posting an image of himself lifting the trophy captioned “they’re mad.” The decision also impacts legal proceedings against 18 Senegalese supporters imprisoned since the final, whose appeal trial has been postponed until March 30.