Senegal government accuses Morocco of corruption over AFCON title award

CAF Strips Senegal of AFCON Title Following Protest Review

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has stripped Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations title following an appeals board review into a mid-final protest by the team’s players. The ruling was made after a 14-minute protest by Senegal’s players during normal time in the final, which resulted in Morocco being awarded a penalty and ultimately winning the match 1-0.

According to CAF, Senegal is “declared to have forfeited” the final due to their actions on the field. The result has been officially recorded as 3-0 in favor of host nation Morocco. Senegal’s government has responded by calling for an “independent international investigation into suspected corruption within CAF’s governing bodies.”

Marie Rose Khady Fatou Faye, a spokeswoman for the Senegalese government, stated that CAF’s decision undermines its own credibility and that Senegal rejects this attempt at dispossession. The Senegalese Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, had previously expressed concern over Morocco’s jailing of 18 Senegalese fans following violence during the player protest.

The Senegalese Football Federation has announced that it will appeal CAF’s ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The federation described the decision as “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable” and stated that it will initiate an appeal as soon as possible.

Source: Al Jazeera