Senegalese soccer fans today criticized the decision to take away their country’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) championship and transfer it to Morocco, calling the move a “disgrace for Africa” and demanding an investigation.
Gora Ndiaye, who lives in Dakar and drives for a living, told our reporter that when he heard the news on the radio, it felt like “being hit over the head,” according to AFP.
On Tuesday night, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) shockingly took away Senegal’s title. They said it was because players left the field, which they did toward the end of the final two months ago.
Ndiaye added, “If this law was in effect, it should have been put into effect right away, and the cup should have gone to the Moroccans.” He called the decision “a disgrace for Africa.”
Fans are now waiting for the outcome of a promised appeal by their country’s football officials, which will be announced on Wednesday.
The government of Senegal has asked for “an independent international investigation into suspected corruption within the CAF’s governing bodies.”
Several Senegalese players left the field in protest during the final in Rabat on January 18 when the home team was given a penalty kick late in the second half.
Morocco missed the penalty after Senegal’s captain, Sadio Mane, talked the players back onto the field. Senegal won 1-0 when Pape Gueye scored in extra time.
CAF claimed that after looking over Morocco’s appeal, “the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match,” and the score was “officially recorded as 3-0” in favor of Morocco.
“I started out laughing and being shocked at the same time because it really shocked me that they took away our victory two months later,” Assietou Diallo, a 25-year-old accounting assistant, said our reporter in downtown Dakar.
The Senegalese press all agreed, with headlines like “Big Continental Farce,” “Joke of the Century,” and “Unprecedented Scandal.”
Waiting for an appeal
Senegal’s football authorities said they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the next 48 hours, condemning what they said was an “unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision”.
Moussa Niakhate, a Senegalese defender, shared a picture on Instagram of himself clutching the Africa Cup and wearing a medal. He wrote, “Come and get them!” They’re nuts!
people of Senegal say that even if the team loses its trophy, they are still the real winners in the eyes of the people.
Senegal fan Khola Diouf told our reporter in Dakar, “We played and we won.” He pointed to Morocco’s missed penalty in the last moments of the game and said, “The whole world is watching and knows that Senegal deserves the cup.”
Ndiaye, the driver, remarked, “The trophy is an object,” and “Even if we give it to the Moroccans, you have to know that Senegal beat them on the field.”
Fans in Rabat, where the game was played, were definitely in favor, even though they weren’t as emotional because they were getting ready for Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.
“Everyone is happy with this result,” Our reporter spoke with 53-year-old lawyer Mohamed Amine Boujdaini, who said, “The cup returns to its rightful home.”
Omar Haryate, a 70-year-old man who is now retired, remarked, “Justice has been served.”
The CAF Appeals Committee used Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations to explain why it made its conclusion. They say that if a team “refuses to play or leaves the field before the regular end of the match without the referee’s permission, it will be considered (loser) and will be out of the current competition for good.”
The articles say that the team that breaks the rules “will lose its match by 3-0.”
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