Morocco was stunningly awarded the Africa Cup of Nations title Tuesday by appeals judges who overturned Senegal’s victory in a chaotic final in January.
The Confederation of African Football said its appeal board ruled Senegal was “declared to have forfeited the Final” and its 1-0 win in extra time becomes a 3-0 default win for host nation Morocco.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) on Wednesday said the decision “discredits African football,” and that it will appeal “as soon as possible” to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, a process that would typically take a year to deliver a verdict.
“The FSF reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice and will keep the public informed of developments in this matter,” the federation said in a statement.
In the Jan. 18 final in Rabat, Senegal players, led by coach Pape Thiaw, left the field in protest during stoppage time for 15 minutes — and fans tried to storm the field — when Morocco was awarded a penalty that was set to decide the match.
credit: ESPN