Senegal has vowed to appeal the 'unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision' by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip it of the Africa Cup of Nations title. The CAF ruled that Senegal forfeited the final against Morocco by walking off the field during extra time to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco. Despite returning to the field and winning 1-0, the ruling now grants Morocco a 3-0 default victory.
The Senegalese government and football federation have pledged to pursue all legal avenues, calling the decision 'grossly illegal and deeply unjust.' They argue it contradicts sporting ethics and discredits African football. Senegal plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation maintains that the appeal was to ensure tournament rules were respected, not to challenge the teams' performances.