The Senegalese Football Federation has launched a fierce condemnation of the Confederation of African Football after its Africa Cup of Nations triumph was annulled and the trophy reassigned to host nation Morocco.

In a strongly worded statement, the federation denounced what it called an “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision” by CAF’s appeals board, which ruled that Senegal had forfeited the final by leaving the pitch and therefore converted its 1-0 extra-time victory into a 3-0 win for Morocco.

Senegal’s players and staff had walked off in protest after a series of contentious refereeing decisions and security concerns, arguing that conditions on the field and in the stands had become unsafe and that match officials failed to protect the integrity of the contest. CAF’s judicial bodies, however, concluded that the walk-off fell squarely under its disciplinary code.

CAF cited article 82 of the tournament regulations, which stipulates that any team that withdraws, refuses to play, or leaves the field before the final whistle without the referee’s authorization is deemed to have lost the match and is eliminated from the competition. The appeals board applied that clause retroactively to the final, overturning the result that had initially stood.

The Senegalese federation insists that the ruling goes beyond a simple disciplinary matter and strikes at the credibility of African football governance. It argues that the appeals body ignored the exceptional circumstances surrounding the walk-off and failed to consider what it describes as serious shortcomings in match organization and officiating.

The federation has announced it will challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, seeking to have the original result reinstated and the title returned. Such a case would typically take many months, leaving the status of the most recent AFCON in limbo and casting a shadow over Morocco’s newly awarded crown.

“The FSF reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice and will keep the public informed of developments in this matter,” the statement said, framing the dispute as a test of fairness and due process in African football rather than a simple battle over a trophy.