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.
Senegal defender Moussa Niakhaté posted an image on his private Instagram account of himself holding the trophy with a message in French that said: “Come and get it! They’re crazy!”
In a similar post on his Instagram story, left back El Hadji Malick Diouf added: “It’s not what I expected … this thing isn’t going anywhere.”
Abdoulaye Seydou Sow, secretary general of the Senegalese Football Federation, said the organization will file an appeal.
“We will not back down. The law is on our side,” Sow told the public broadcaster Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise late Tuesday. He called the ruling a “shame for Africa.”
“This decision is a travesty that rests on no legal basis. We felt that the panel was not there to apply the law, but to carry out an order,” Sow said.
