'Value of African football to drop' after AFCON final u-turn

The shocking and unprecedented news that this year's African Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner Senegal will be stripped of their title, which will instead go to beaten finalists Morocco, has sent shockwaves across the continent's football community.

Senegal's football federation have confirmed they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with the federation's secretary general Abdoulaye Seydou Sow quick to express his feelings.

"We will contact our lawyers and file an appeal. We will stop at nothing. The law is on our side," Sow announced on state radio RTS, calling the decision a "disgrace for Africa."

Titles being stripped retrospectively is rare in football. Juventus were stripped of two Serie A league titles in the mid 2000s due to match fixing and Marseille had a Ligue 1 trophy taken off them for a bribery scandal in 1993. More recently, Romania were awarded a 3-0 win over Kosovo in 2024 after the Kosovo team walked off in the final minute of their match in Romania when when they heard pro-Serbia chanting from home fans, which Romania has denied. The game was not resumed, and UEFA concluded that Kosovo were responsible.

With that in mind, this decision is seismic, especially after the matter appeared to be settled at the end of January when both teams were fined and Morocco's appeal was dismissed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

"The timing is really bad. CAF should have taken a decision earlier, quicker. The situation has only rotted more and more," said DW's Ali Farhat, an African football expert who was at tournament and final for DW. "Plus, if Senegal wins in front of the CAS, the CAF is going to look less and less credible as an institution. It is really bad for African football."

Collins Okinyo, a former CAF (African Football Federation) media consultant, agrees. "It puts African football under a lot of scrutiny because the decision has shocked almost everyone," he told DW.

'Value of African football to decrease'

Okinyo doesn't believe Morocco can be blamed for pursuing the letter of the law, a view supported by Moncef El Yazghi, a Moroccan researcher, author, and expert in sports politics.

"The most important factor is the application of the law," El Yazghi told DW. "Announcing the title two months after the end of the tournament is secondary, as history remembers titles and results rather than the surrounding circumstances.

"Moreover, this establishes a vital legal precedent that will deter other teams from withdrawing from matches whenever a referee’s decision does not suit them—a behavior that has unfortunately been observed in several matches across the African continent in recent weeks."

Combined with the recent news that the women's AFCON has again been delayed, the image of African football has definitely enjoyed brighter days. "If you look at it critically, the value of African football will definitely go down with this," Okinyo said.

A lot of criticism has surrounded the referee's handling of a chaotic final in which Senegal left the pitch after having a late goal disallowed before seeing Morocco awarded an injury time penalty which they missed on the resumption of play.

"It is important to remember that several top officials from CAF and the tournament hierarchy were present at the stadium, which may have shaped how events unfolded," Okinyo said. "It's a situation that deserves deeper reflection." DW has contacted CAF with a series of questions but has not yet received a reply.

Morocco within rights to appeal

Morocco is clearly emerging as a major hub in African football, but talk of influence is without foundation, said El Yazghi.

"The suggestion that there was Moroccan interference in the decision is incorrect; Morocco simply exercised its right to litigation. Morocco does not 'control' CAF. This is evidenced by the fact that Morocco lost two Women’s AFCON finals on home soil, one of which was due to a clear refereeing error. CAF has its own jurisdictions and authorities, and its integrity cannot be questioned without evidence. Ultimately, CAS will have the final word—unless one believes Morocco controls CAS as well."

With Senegal's appeal now going to the highest court in sport, tougher questions will follow. How did it reach this point? What were the decisions that led to chaos in the final?

But, for many, the saddest part is that this dispute comes off the back of an Africa Cup of Nations widely considered to be a major success for both the country and the continent.

Final overshadows successful tournament

"The AFCON in Morocco was the best ever," Okinyo said. "A lot was done to improve facilities and the organization was perfect, but the tournament was overshadowed by the final. It was one of the worst things to happen. The impact is heavy. African football led by Patrice Motsepe [CAF President] has to find a way to bring things back to life because at this moment the damage is so big."

While this story will roll on, El Yazghi believes that, contrary to much reporting, the image of football in Africa should be burnished by the decision.

"The real issue is that some still wish to maintain hegemony over Africa and manage its affairs on its behalf," El Yazghi argued. "When a decision is made by CAF, it is suddenly viewed as a loss of credibility. Why? Why don't we instead say that CAF has implemented the law and provided fair litigation opportunities to all parties? That is the real question."

Ali Farhat and Hicham Driouich contributed to this article.

Edited by: Matt Pearson