The Senegalese Football Federation has announced plans to take its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after the nation was stripped of its Africa Cup of Nations title.
On Tuesday evening, the Confederation of African Football declared Morocco the winners, two months after the tournament ended in controversy.
An appeals board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match after players walked off the pitch in protest over a disputed penalty awarded deep into stoppage time.
In a statement posted on X, the Senegalese federation condemned the decision as “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable,” adding that it had “brought African football into disrepute.”
“To defend the rights and interests of Senegalese football, the federation will promptly initiate an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne,” the statement said.
Speaking to national broadcaster Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise on Tuesday night, the federation’s secretary general, Abdoulaye Seydou Sow, insisted: “We will not back down. The law is on our side.”
He also described the ruling as “a disgrace for Africa.”
The Senegalese government has thrown its support behind the football federation’s decision, issuing a statement on Wednesday condemning the ruling. “Senegal will not tolerate an administrative decision erasing commitment, merit, and sporting excellence. The country unequivocally rejects this unjustified attempt to strip its rights,” the statement read. It called for an independent international investigation into alleged corruption within the Confederation of African Football’s governing body.
The government added that Senegal will pursue all appropriate avenues, including international courts, to ensure justice and restore the primacy of sporting results. It also expressed solidarity with Senegalese citizens detained in Morocco following incidents at the Africa Cup of Nations final, pledging full engagement to secure a positive outcome as quickly as possible.
Earlier on Wednesday, L’Équipe quoted a federation member describing the situation as “outrageous,” warning that the upcoming CAF executive committee meeting on March 29 would be “World War 3.”
The controversy stemmed from a walk-off initiated by Senegal coach Pape Thiaw, which caused a lengthy delay. When play resumed, Brahim Díaz had his penalty saved by Édouard Mendy. Pape Gueye later scored in extra time, but unrest among the crowd and disputes followed.
After reviewing the events, the appeal board took the unprecedented step of overturning the result, awarding a 3-0 victory to Morocco, who now celebrate their second Africa Cup of Nations title.
Senegal’s players expressed their frustration and sarcasm on social media following the ruling.
Sadio Mané shared on his Instagram stories: “The world knows the true champions.”
Defender Moussa Niakhaté posted a photo of himself holding the trophy with the caption: “Come and get it! They’re crazy!”
Similarly, left-back El Hadj Malick Diouf posted: “It’s not what I expected… this thing isn’t going anywhere.”
Senegalese midfielder Pathé Ciss shared a tongue-in-cheek post, using a string of laughing face emojis while posing with the Africa Cup of Nations trophy and his winner’s medal. Centre-back Moussa Niakhaté added to the reaction with a photo from the final’s aftermath, captioned: “This is not AI, this is real.”
Meanwhile, Morocco welcomed the ruling in an official statement, emphasizing that their appeal was never meant to question the sporting performance of the participating teams, but solely to ensure the competition’s regulations were applied.
The statement reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to upholding the rules, maintaining clarity in competition, and preserving stability within African football. It also praised all nations that participated in this edition of the AFCON, describing it as a significant moment for the sport on the continent.
