Senegal have been stripped of Africa Cup of Nations title over walkout protest in final, while Morocco awarded a 3-0 win in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations final after Senegal were sensationally stripped of the title in an epic ruling.
The ruling which is unprecedented was delivered yesterday Match 17th 2026 after 58 days into the arbitration since the blast of the final whistle seeing Morroco now the AFCON title holder..
By this implication, Senegal originally beat hosts Morocco 1-0 on January 18, 2026, in a match marked by a 15-minute walk-off protest by Senegal players against a late penalty call which Brahim Diaz failed to convert in what looked frustrating and spelt doom for the Atlas Lion of Morroco.
The 15-minute walk-off protest in the middle of a football match constituted a gross violation, which the CAF Appeal Board found that Senegal breached tournament regulations (Articles 82 and 84) by refusing to play and leaving the field.
Consequent upon that violation, Senegal was stripped of the title, and the match was converted into a 3-0 forfeit victory for Morocco. On the other hand, Senegal’s manager, Pape Thiaw, was suspended for 5 matches and fined, while the Senegal federation was also heavily fined.
There are feelers that Senegal may appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 10 days of the decision, and we look out for how the events will unfold in coming days.
