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Mar 26, 2026

Senegal Challenges CAF's Decision to Award AFCON Title to Morocco

AI Summary
Senegal has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) decision to strip them of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco. The controversy stems from a disputed penalty in the final, which led to Senegalese players walking off the pitch in protest.

Senegal has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to overturn the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip them of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and hand the trophy to Morocco.

The appeal comes after CAF upheld a complaint by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, citing Senegal's infringement of tournament regulations when their players walked off the pitch in protest during the AFCON final on January 18.

The final had ended 1-0 in extra time in favor of Senegal, but CAF declared the match a 3-0 defeat for Senegal, making Morocco the champions. The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) is now seeking to have the CAF decision overturned and be declared the winners of AFCON.

The controversy began when Morocco was awarded a disputed penalty in injury time, leading to Senegalese players halting the game for nearly 20 minutes in protest. The penalty was saved, but Senegal eventually scored the winning goal in extra time.

CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb stated that the arbitration proceedings would be conducted swiftly while ensuring a fair hearing for all parties involved. CAF president Patrice Motsepe has expressed support for the right of African countries to appeal to CAS, emphasizing that the continent's football governing body would respect the decision taken at the highest level.

In related news, both Senegal and Morocco are set to play friendly matches as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup. Senegal will face Peru on Saturday, while Morocco will play Ecuador on Friday and Paraguay on March 31.