The Senegalese Football Federation has announced its intention to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after the country was stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title.
The Confederation of African Football announced the decision on Tuesday evening to award victory to Morocco two months after the acrimonious conclusion to the tournament.
An appeal board determined the Senegal team had forfeited the match when they left the field in protest at a disputed penalty deep in stoppage time.
Responding via a statement on X, the Senegal federation branded the decision “iniquitous, unprecedented and unacceptable”, saying it “threw discredit on African football.”
“For the defence of the rights and interests of Senegalese football, the federation will engage, with the shortest delay, an appeal procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne,” the statement added.
Abdoulaye Seydou Sow, secretary general of the Senegalese Football Federation, told the public broadcaster Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise late Tuesday: “We will not back down. The law is on our side.”
He called the ruling a “shame for Africa.”
Earlier on Wednesday, L’Équipe quoted a Senegal federation member as saying, “We are outraged. There is a CAF executive committee meeting on March 29, it will be World War 3.”
The walk-off, instigated by Senegal coach Pape Thiaw, led to a lengthy delay, and, when the game was belatedly restarted, Brahim DÃaz saw his spot-kick saved by Édouard Mendy.
Pape Gueye went on to score the winning goal in extra time but there was unrest in the crowd and recriminations in the aftermath.
Having studied the circumstances, the appeal board took the unprecedented step of reversing the result, awarding a 3-0 win to Morocco, who are now celebrating their second AFCON title.
