The Moroccan FA has claimed that it has decided “to pursue legal action with the CAF (Confederation of African Football) and FIFA” following Senegal’s mid-game withdrawal during the AFCON final.
Senegal defeated the host nation in Rabat on Sunday (January 18), with the game overshadowed by a bizarre turn of events in the 98th minute of proceedings.
Morocco were awarded a controversial penalty when El Hadji Malick Diouf was judged to have fouled Brahim Diaz in the penalty area.
This then prompted Senegal boss Pape Thiaw to lead his players off the pitch, leaving the home side waiting for around 17 minutes before the West African nation finally returned.
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Upon their return, Real Madrid winger Diaz stepped up to take the spot kick with the weight of a nation on his shoulders, but instead of smashing the ball home, he tamely chipped it into Edouard Mendy’s arms, meaning it stayed 0-0 with the game going to extra time.
Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye then smashed home a left-footed strike on 94 minutes, which proved to be the winner, handing Senegal a second AFCON crown in the last three tournaments.
The Moroccan players and staff appeared dejected after the final whistle, with Diaz in tears.
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Meanwhile, Morocco boss Walid Regragui branded Senegal’s actions as “shameful”, while FIFA president Gianni Infantino described the scenes as “unacceptable”.
"The image we gave of African football was rather shameful," Regragui said. "Having to stop the game for more than 10 minutes with the world watching is not very classy.”
Now it appears that the Moroccan football federation is willing to take legal action.
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A statement posted to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation’s website on Monday (January 19), read: “The Royal Moroccan Football Federation announces that it will pursue legal action with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA regarding the Senegalese national team's withdrawal from the final match against Morocco and the subsequent events following the referee's decision to award a penalty kick, a decision deemed correct by all experts. This significantly impacted the normal flow of the match and the players' performance.
“Furthermore, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation extends its sincere gratitude to all Moroccan fans who remained loyal to the national team through their massive attendance and exemplary support in all of the national team's matches and other tournaments. The Federation also thanks everyone who contributed to the success of this continental championship.”
Morocco have not won AFCON since 1976 and will have to wait until 2027 until they try to secure a second triumph.
Has CAF ever overturned a result following an appeal?
No, CAF has never overturned a result in the AFCON finals, although Nigeria were awarded a win in qualifying after being stuck in a Libyan airport ahead of their match in 2024.
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The disciplinary committee of the CAF awarded a 3-0 win to Nigeria, despite the West African side refusing to play against the qualifying match’s hosts, Libya.
The Nigerian players were locked in an airport for 16 hours and complained of mistreatment on arrival after their flight was redirected while on approach to Benghazi and instead landed in Bayda.
Players also claimed that there was no food or water while they waited for Libyan officials to arrive.
Luke Davies