Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph has been wiped from the record books after the Confederation of African Football’s Appeal Board ruled that the champions forfeited the final by walking off the pitch in protest.

The extraordinary decision follows a dramatic conclusion to the final against Morocco, in which referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded a stoppage-time penalty to Morocco after a VAR review of Malick Diouf’s challenge on Brahim Diaz. Furious at what they saw as an unjust call, Senegal coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players to leave the field and head for the dressing room.

The walk-off halted the showpiece for around 16 minutes and drew condemnation across the continent. Morocco coach Walid Regragui called the scenes “shameful” for African football, accusing Thiaw of dishonouring the game by interrupting the final on a global stage.

Senegal eventually returned to the pitch, reportedly under the driving influence of star forward Sadio Mane, who urged his teammates to resume the match to avoid tarnishing African football’s image. Diaz’s audacious Panenka penalty was then saved by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, and in extra time Pape Gueye struck what appeared to be the title-winning goal in a 1-0 victory for Senegal.

But Morocco’s federation, the FRMF, lodged an appeal, arguing that Senegal’s temporary abandonment of the match breached competition regulations. CAF’s Appeal Board agreed, invoking Article 84 of the tournament rules to declare that Senegal had forfeited the final. The result has been officially recorded as a 3-0 win for Morocco, handing them a second AFCON title.

In a statement, CAF confirmed that all other requests were dismissed, while the FRMF insisted its action was not aimed at questioning Senegal’s sporting performance but at ensuring the rules were applied consistently and transparently.

The ruling strips champion status from a host of Senegal stars, including Mane, Idrissa Gueye, Iliman Ndiaye, Mamadou Sarr, Nicolas Jackson, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Ismaila Sarr. On the Moroccan side, players such as Noussair Mazraoui, Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz now celebrate a belated continental triumph.

Senegal, who have apologised publicly for leaving the pitch, retain the option of taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, setting the stage for a potential legal battle over one of the most controversial endings in AFCON history.