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Senegal were sensationally stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title on Tuesday as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) declared Morocco champions. <\/p>\n
Several Senegalese players had controversially walked off the pitch in Rabat during the final on January 18<\/a> in protest when the host nation were awarded a penalty late in second-half stoppage time. <\/p>\n Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n <\/b><\/i><\/b><\/i>After Senegal\u2019s players eventually returned having being coaxed back onto the pitch by captain Sadio Mane, Morocco missed the penalty and Pape Gueye went on to score the goal in extra time that gave his team a 1-0 victory. <\/p>\n CAF said that having studied Morocco\u2019s appeal, \u201cthe Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match,\u201d and the result was \u201cofficially recorded as 3-0\u201d in favour of Morocco. <\/p>\n The CAF Appeals Committee justified its decision by applying Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations, which state that if a team \u201crefuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered (loser) and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition\u201d. <\/p>\n The articles add that the team contravening the regulations \u201cwill lose its match by 3-0\u201d.<\/p>\n The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) said in a statement its appeal \u201cwas never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition regulations\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, to the clarity of the competitive framework, and to the stability of African competitions,\u201d the statement added. <\/p>\n – Chaotic scenes –<\/p>\n Minutes before the end of the match, some Senegalese supporters attempted a pitch invasion, while Senegal\u2019s players halted the game for nearly 20 minutes to protest the late penalty awarded to Morocco. <\/p>\n The controversial spot-kick was awarded by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala right at the end of the allotted eight added minutes in normal time following a VAR check for a challenge on Brahim Diaz by El Hadji Malick Diouf. <\/p>\n Arnold concedes controversial penalty | 00:43<\/p>\n The game was goalless at the time and Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with the spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time. <\/p>\n But Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted \u2018Panenka\u2019 chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award. <\/p>\n The game at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium then went to extra time, and Gueye\u2019s brilliant 94th-minute strike won it for Senegal. <\/p>\n They can appeal the decisions of the CAF Appeals Committee at the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport within 10 days. <\/p>\n The Senegalese football federation made no immediate reaction but several of the team\u2019s players posted on social media.<\/p>\n Defender Moussa Niakhate, who plays for French club Lyon, posted a picture of himself lifting the Africa Cup of Nations trophy with a message that said \u201cthey\u2019re mad\u201d, in an apparent reference to CAF. <\/p>\n In the immediate aftermath of the chaotic final, FIFA President Gianni Infantino had condemned \u201csome Senegal players\u201d for the \u201cunacceptable scenes\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right,\u201d Infantino, who attended the match, said. <\/p>\n In late January, CAF imposed a series of disciplinary sanctions, including fines amounting to several hundred thousand euros, on the federations of both countries for unsportsmanlike conduct and violations of fair play principles. <\/p>\n The appeal trial of 18 Senegalese supporters, imprisoned since the final and sentenced to prison terms ranging from three months to one year for \u201chooliganism,\u201d which was scheduled to take place on Monday, has been postponed until March 30.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n