Africa Cup of Nations: Morocco crowned AFCON champions after CAF strips Senegal of title for penalty protest

Morocco have been crowned Africa Cup of Nations winners after a major ruling on Tuesday overturned Senegal's victory two months after the final.

Senegal triumphed 1-0 after extra-time in the final on January 18 after controversially exiting the field in protest when hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty, delaying the game for 17 minutes.

Brahim Diaz missed from the spot when play eventually resumed and Senegal won the final thanks to Pape Gueye's goal in extra-time.

However, Senegal have been stripped of their title by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board for leaving the pitch.

Senegal are "declared to have forfeited" with the "result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour" of Morocco, a statement from African football's governing body read.

The west African nation plan to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which typically takes about a year to reach a verdict.

The Senegalese football federation's secretary general called the decision a "shame for Africa" in an interview with public broadcaster Radiodiffusion T├®l├®vision S├®n├®galaise.

The ruling is the result of an appeal made by Moroccan football's governing body, the FRMF, who welcomed the verdict in an initial response which read: "The Federation wishes to recall that its approach has never been intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition's regulations.

"The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, ensuring clarity in the competitive framework, and maintaining stability within African competitions. It also wishes to commend all the nations that took part in this edition of the AFCON, which has been a major moment for African football. The Federation will make an official statement tomorrow, after convening its governing bodies."

Among the Senegal players to lose their champion status are former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane, Everton pair Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye, Chelsea's Mamadou Sarr and his on-loan team-mate Nicolas Jackson, West Ham's El Hadji Malick Diouf and Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr.

Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui, meanwhile, can savour a belated triumph alongside PSG's Achraf Hakimi and Real Madrid's Diaz.

Some of Senegal's Premier League stars mocked the ruling on social media on Tuesday night.

West Ham's Diouf, Crystal Palace's Sarr and Sunderland's Habib Diarra all posted laughing emojis on their Instagram stories, as well as pictures of them with the AFCON trophy and celebrations.
What happened in the final?
Referee Jean-Jacques Ndala pointed to the spot in stoppage-time of January's final following a VAR check for Malick Diouf's challenge on Brahim Diaz, which prompted Senegal boss Pape Thiaw, who was already unhappy with a late disallowed goal for his side, to send his players to the dressing room.

Former Liverpool winger Mane ordered his Senegal team-mates to return to the pitch, and when they did after a 16-minute delay, Morocco's Diaz saw his Paneka penalty saved by Edouard Mendy, sending the final to extra-time.

Gueye then struck the winner for Senegal in extra-time but there was unrest in the crowd and recriminations in the aftermath.
What was said after?
After the game, Morocco head coach Walid Regragui said the image of Africa is "shameful" after Senegal boss Thiaw led his players off the pitch.

"The image we've given of Africa is shameful," he said. "A coach who asks his players to leave the field...what Pape did does not honour Africa.

"Thiaw wasn't classy. But he is a champion, so he can say whatever he wants. We stopped the match in the eyes of the world for 10 minutes."

Thiaw said he regretted taking his players off the pitch.

"I don't want to go over all the incidents. I apologise for the football," he told BeIN Sports.

"After reflecting on it, I made them come back [on the pitch] - you can react in the heat of the moment.

"We accept the errors of the referee. We shouldn't have done it, but it's done and now we present our apologies to football."

The Confederation of African Football said they condemned the "unacceptable behaviour of some players and officials" during the final.

Meanwhile, Mane, who played a key role in the Senegal players coming back onto the pitch to finish the match, added: "It would have been really a shame and sad to see this kind of thing, this kind of scenario happen. Imagine, just imagine for a second, going into the locker rooms and the football match stopped there. I think that would convey a negative image of our football; I think Africa today does not deserve that.

"African football has evolved in an incredible way and the proof is that it is followed all over the world. So, on my side, I did what I had to do, after I think we also had a bit of luck to have a goalkeeper like Edouard Mendy, who saved us once again, so, I think otherwise overall in the match, Senegal deserved to win."

Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara revealed the role Mane played in restarting the match.

"We knew that today it was important to win this trophy, we were all determined to win it thanks to Sadio and we saw what he did today, it is just incredible," he said.

"Well, we were in the dressing rooms, I was thinking of going with the 10 others, I think it was only him (Mane) who came in shouting, shouting at us to get out and go finish the match, so at the end he was right, we went out, we listened to him because when Sadio speaks everyone listens, we listened to him and finally it went well for us."