Senegal govt alleges corruption in decision to hand AFCON title to Morocco

Senegal’s government has called for an “independent international investigation” into corruption following the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip the country of its Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco.

CAF’s decision came following a review via their appeals board into a chaotic final two months ago.

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The ruling said that Senegal is “declared to have forfeited” the final, a 1-0 victory after extra time, by leaving the field of play during normal time in a 14-minute protest at the awarding of a penalty to Morocco – which they missed when play resumed.

The result, it said, was now “being officially recorded as 3-0” ‌in favour of host nation Morocco.

“By calling into question a result achieved at the end of a match that was properly played and won in accordance with the rules of the game, the CAF seriously undermines its own credibility,” Senegal’s government spokeswoman Marie Rose Khady Fatou Faye said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Senegal unequivocally rejects this unjustified attempt at dispossession,” she said while calling for “an independent international investigation into suspected corruption within the CAF’s governing bodies”.

CAF did not immediately ⁠respond to a request ⁠for comment by the news agency Reuters.

Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko previously weighed in on the fallout from the final when he followed his country’s football federation in denouncing Morocco’s jailing of 18 Senegalese fans following violence during a pitch invasion during the player protest in the January 18 final in Rabat.

Of February’s sentencing, which spanned from three months to a year and included fines, he told the Senegalese parliament: “It seems this matter goes beyond the realm of sport and that is regrettable.

“For two countries that call each other friends, like Morocco and Senegal, things should not have gone this far.”

The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) said on Wednesday that it will appeal CAF’s ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“The Senegalese Football Federation denounces this unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision, which casts a shadow over African football,” it said ⁠in a statement.

“To defend its rights and the interests of ⁠Senegalese football, the federation will initiate an appeal as soon as possible before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.”

Such a challenge can take as long as a year for the court to rule on.