Sports News

CAF strips Senegal of the AFCON title and hands Morocco a 3-0 win, two months on

An appeal board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruled on Tuesday, 17 March, that Senegal had forfeited January's Africa Cup of Nations final and awarded the title to Morocco. Senegal's 1-0 extra-time win in Rabat on 18 January was replaced with a 3-0 default win for the hosts, AP reported.

The case rests on Senegal's walk-off in stoppage time, when their players left the field in protest at a penalty awarded to Morocco. After play resumed, Brahim Diaz's penalty was saved by Edouard Mendy and Pape Gueye scored the winner in extra time. AP noted that an earlier disciplinary hearing had fined and banned players and officials from both teams but left the result unchanged.

Senegal is “declared to have forfeited the Final.” — CAF statement, via AP

The PA news agency, in a report carried by the Roscommon Herald, said the Senegalese government called the decision “unprecedented” and asked for an independent international investigation into suspected corruption within CAF's governing bodies. It added that some bookmakers would pay out on Morocco anyway.

How each outlet framed it

• AP (via Fox Sports) — the ruling itself and the earlier sanctions.
• PA (via Roscommon Herald) — Senegal's political fury and the betting payouts.
• Ghanaian Times — the legal road ahead at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Where the numbers differ: AP and Ghanaian Times put the walk-off at about 15 minutes; on the night, Al Jazeera and NBC News reported about 14.

What happened next: Senegal's federation took the case to CAS and asked it to declare Senegal the winners, the Ghanaian Times reported on 27 March. CAS said it was not possible to give a timeline for a hearing.