Senegal government rages at ‘corruption’ after they were controversially stripped of AFCON title
Senegal’s government has demanded an independent international inquiry into alleged corruption at the Confederation of African Football following the governing body’s contentious decision to strip the nation of their Africa Cup of Nations crown.
The trophy has instead been handed to Morocco, two months after the January final took place.
Senegalese authorities have branded CAF’s ruling “grossly illegal and profoundly unjust,” while the country’s football federation has confirmed it will challenge the verdict at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
The CAF Appeal Board determined that Senegal had forfeited the final against Morocco after their players walked off the pitch in protest at a penalty awarded to their opponents late in the match.
Despite this incident, Senegal had continued playing and ultimately secured victory during extra time.
However, the tournament hosts have now been declared 3-0 winners following the appeal board’s ruling, which was issued approximately two months after the match concluded.
CAF maintains that its decision adheres to the organisation’s own regulations governing such situations.
Senegal were initially crowned Afcon winners after beating Morocco in the final | REUTERS
A spokesperson for the Senegalese government condemned the ruling in stark terms.
“This unprecedented and exceptionally serious decision directly contradicts the fundamental principles of sporting ethics, foremost among which are fairness, loyalty, and respect for the truth of the game,” they stated.
“It stems from a manifestly erroneous interpretation of the regulations.”
Morocco have been declared the champion of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations following a ruling by the CAF Appeal Board that Senegal forfeited the tournament final | GETTY
The spokesperson added that CAF had seriously damaged its own standing by overturning a legitimately won match.
“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 and the legitimate trust that the African people place in continental sporting institutions,” they added.
The governing body has defended its position by citing specific tournament rules.
Under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, any team that refuses to play or departs the field before the match concludes without the referee’s permission is automatically deemed the loser and their opponents receive a 3-0 victory.
CAF stated that Senegal had breached Article 82 and consequently, under Article 84, the team was declared to have forfeited the fixture.
The Senegalese Football Federation responded by announcing it would take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, seeking to have Tuesday’s ruling overturned.
Pape Thiaw apologised after Senegal players walked off the pitch in their AFCON final against Morocco, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the country from being stripped of their title
|
GETTYMorocco welcomed the verdict in its initial response to the ruling.
The federation stated that its approach had never sought to question the sporting achievements of competing nations, but rather to ensure proper enforcement of tournament rules.
“The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, ensuring clarity in the competitive framework, and maintaining stability within African competitions,” the statement read.
Morocco also praised all participating nations, describing the tournament as a significant occasion for African football, and indicated it would issue a formal statement following a meeting of its governing bodies.
