Senegal stripped of AFCON title with rivals Morocco handed trophy instead – 58 DAYS after hot-tempered clash which saw them walk off in protest at a late penalty

Senegal were sensationally stripped of the AFCON title, handing the trophy to their final rivals Morocco.

The Confederation of African Football Appeals Board took unprecedented action after Senegalese players walked off the field to protest the decision to award a penalty to the home team on January 18.

Amid turbulent scenes, a penalty was missed as Senegal returned to the field and Senegal won 1-0.

However, in an unprecedented decision 58 days later, Morocco won the match 3-0 after an appeal and also won the championship.

A CAF spokesman said the appeals panel had ruled that ‘the Senegal National Team was declared forfeit in the Final’.

They added that the objection from Morocco was “acceptable and approved” because Senegal’s behavior “violates Article 82” of the regulation.

A number of other fines were also issued in connection with the match.

In the 98th minute of the Rabat match, Senegal’s players left the game to protest the early goal and the penalty being awarded. They were left off the field for approximately 17 minutes due to the chaos that broke out when Senegalese fans tried to invade the field.

Senegalese fans clash with security in Rabat after controversial late call

Senegal bounced back with the persuasion of former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane.

Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz took the penalty saved by former Chelsea defender Edouard Mendy and the match went to extra time; here Senegal prevailed with a goal from Pape Gueye to earn them their second AFCON title in five years.

However, Morocco appealed and CAF took extraordinary action with a surprising decision.

The fine given to Moroccan Ismael Saibari was rejected and his sentence was reduced. The objection to the fine imposed due to the behavior of the ball collectors was partially accepted and the amount was reduced.

Morocco’s appeal against interference in the VAR area was rejected, with a $100,000 fine upheld.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation said in its statement:'[We] CAF noted the decision of the Appeal Committee.

‘The Federation wishes to remind that its approach has never been aimed at challenging the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but only at demanding the application of the competition rules.

‘The Federation reaffirms its commitment to complying with the rules, providing clarity around the competition framework and maintaining stability in African competitions.

‘We would also like to recognize all the countries participating in this edition of AFCON, which is an important moment for African football.’

Senegal’s stars reacted defiantly to the decision, with Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra and Rayo Vallecano’s Pathe Ciss posting photos of themselves with the trophy.

Ciss was substituted in extra time and Diarra was suspended for the final but watched the chaos unfold from the sidelines.

Afterwards, Senegal boss Papa Thiaw was heavily criticized for ordering his team to withdraw from the game, but upon returning from the tournament Diarra told Sky Sports: ‘I understand. You can’t single out the coach.

‘I think he did it because he saw how we competed during the tournament. He saw the sacrifices we made to get here. He is like a father to us. He wanted to protect us.

‘What happened was a collective decision. You can’t pick specific players or specific people. What I saw was that we were all united. ‘If someone makes a decision, everyone follows.’

Senegal was said to be exploring its legal options on Tuesday night and could now appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.