Senegal national football team have reacted strongly after being stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations title, condemning the ruling by Confederation of African Football as they prepare to challenge the decision.
In an official statement, the Senegalese Football Federation described the outcome as unjust and damaging to the image of African football.
“The Senegalese Football Federation denounces this unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision, which casts a shadow over African football,” the statement read.
“To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the federation will initiate an appeal as soon as possible before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne,” it added.
The controversy follows CAF’s Appeals Board ruling in favour of Morocco national football team, who were declared champions after their protest was upheld. The board ruled that Senegal’s walk off during the final on January 18 constituted a breach of tournament regulations, leading to their disqualification and a 3-0 result being awarded to Morocco.
Senegal had originally won the match 1-0 in Rabat after extra time, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal in the 94th minute. However, the final was overshadowed by a dramatic incident late in regulation time when Senegal players left the pitch for 14 minutes in protest after a penalty was awarded to Morocco.
The walk off was led by head coach Papa Bouna Thiaw, who has since been handed a lengthy suspension. During the stoppage, captain Sadio Mane attempted to convince his teammates to return to the field. When play eventually resumed, Morocco failed to convert the penalty, and the game proceeded into extra time where Senegal secured what appeared to be the winning goal.
Despite the referee allowing the match to continue and conclude on the pitch, CAF’s Appeals Board later ruled that the walk off invalidated Senegal’s victory.
The case is expected to be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where Senegal will seek to overturn the decision. The situation has drawn comparisons to previous disputes in African football, including the 2019 CAF Champions League final involving Wydad Casablanca and Espérance de Tunis, which also required intervention from CAS.
Questions have also been raised about the role of the match referee Jean Jacques Ndala, who chose to continue the game after the protest rather than abandon it. According to the Laws of the Game, a referee’s decision is considered final, a point that could become central to Senegal’s appeal.
Veteran coach Claude Le Roy criticised the outcome, expressing surprise at the development.
“No one could have imagined such a statement two months after the final,” he said.
“For years, all the refereeing decisions have been flouted by the CAF,” he added.
The ruling has sparked widespread debate and leaves the final outcome of the AFCON title subject to further legal review as Senegal push for reinstatement as champions.
