CAF strips Senegal of AFCON title, Morocco declared African champions

"The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Tuesday its appeals board ruled that Senegal is declared to have forfeited the match, a 1-0 victory. The result, it said, was now being officially recorded as 3-0 in favour of host nation Morocco."

"At the January 18 final in Rabat, Senegal's players walked off the pitch, led by coach Pape Thiaw, in protest against a penalty awarded late in regulation time to Morocco. When play resumed after a delay of about 15 minutes, Morocco forward Brahim Diaz's penalty was saved."

"The heated final also saw supporters trying to storm the field, players scuffling on the sidelines, reporters from the two countries fighting in media areas and a bizarre sequence in which Moroccan ball boys tried to seize a towel being used by Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy in an apparent bid to distract him."

The Confederation of African Football's appeals board ruled that Senegal forfeited the January 18 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco after players walked off the pitch protesting a penalty decision. The match result was officially changed from Senegal's 1-0 victory to a 3-0 forfeit in Morocco's favor, making Morocco the continental champions. The final was marked by chaos including supporters attempting to storm the field, sideline scuffles, media area confrontations, and Moroccan ball boys attempting to distract Senegal's goalkeeper. CAF had previously imposed fines exceeding $1 million and player bans but maintained the original result. The decision may face further appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Read at www.aljazeera.com