Senegal clinched the title after defeating Morocco 1-0 in extra time; however, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to strip Senegal of the championship, declaring them withdrawn and awarding the title to Morocco, a decision that has sparked significant controversy.
A French newspaper report published Sunday indicated receipt of five official reports regarding the final match held on January 18, confirming that CAF faced intense disputes over this decision. The report details an intense match where Senegalese players left the pitch for ten minutes in protest against a penalty awarded to Morocco. Following the missed penalty by Ibrahim Diaz, Senegal’s Bamba Diop scored the winning goal in extra time. While Senegal won the title on home soil, this result has since been challenged.
Prior to the CAF Appeals Committee ruling in favor of Morocco, the Moroccan Football Federation submitted a 40-page memorandum via Secretary General Tarek El Amine. The document cited statements from Olivier Savary, head of the CAF Referees Committee, who claimed he received official orders not to issue cautions to Senegalese players to maintain the game’s continuity upon their return, given that some players already had yellow cards.
In light of the newspaper’s questioning regarding potential pressure on referees to avoid punishing Senegalese players to ensure the match continued, it appears this was a basis for the Appeals Committee’s decision to grant Morocco the title.
Consequently, the Senegalese Football Federation announced it is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to resolve the issue.
