The Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeals board ruled that Senegal forfeited the Africa Cup of Nations final held in January by leaving the field without the referee's authorization, awarding Morocco a default 3-0 win. This decision, made two months after Senegal's 1-0 extra-time victory, stunned football fans and sparked diplomatic tensions between the two nations.

The Senegalese government labeled the decision "unjust" and stated it would pursue "all appropriate legal avenues" to overturn it, while calling for an international investigation into "suspected corruption" within African football's governing body. The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) then announced it had instructed lawyers to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), potentially leading to a yearlong legal battle before a ruling.

The final was delayed for 14 minutes as most Senegalese players and staff returned to their dressing rooms, while Senegal fans clashed with stewards behind one of the goals in protest against a controversial penalty awarded to Morocco after a Senegal goal was disallowed. After players returned, Morocco missed the penalty, and Senegal won the match 1-0 in extra time.

Morocco and Senegal have long shared close ties built on religion, trade, and culture, with the Tijaniyyah Sufi Muslim order widely followed in both countries. Moroccan banks and companies heavily invest in Senegal's finance and agriculture sectors. However, tensions surrounding the final and CAF's appeals court decision to overturn Senegal's victory have strained bilateral relations.

Last month, 18 Senegal fans arrested on hooliganism charges during the final were sentenced to up to a year in prison by a Moroccan court. The Senegalese government expressed solidarity with the supporters. Seydina Issa Laye Diop, president of the Senegalese national team's "12th Gainde" fan group, said the incidents should not damage Senegal-Morocco relations but added, "However, there are limits: if this continues, it could somewhat affect the pride of the Senegalese people."

Mariama Ndeye, a student in Dakar, said the decision negatively affected her view of Moroccans: "When everything goes well, they call us their brothers. But when things don't go their way, they start being nasty." Morocco's embassy in Dakar called on Moroccans in Senegal to "demonstrate restraint, vigilance, and a sense of responsibility," emphasizing that "it is only a match, the outcome of which should never justify any form of escalation or excessive remarks between brotherly peoples."

While the dispute has centered on the football match, negative sentiments have spread more broadly. Ismail Fnani, a home appliances business owner in Casablanca, said he felt other African countries were rooting against Morocco during the final: "Honestly, my views toward Senegalese and sub-Saharan Africans changed after this. We used to feel sympathy and help them because they were migrants who had struggled to get here. Where there was once sympathy and compassion, now I will treat them as they have treated us."

Mohamed el-Arabi, who works in a grocery shop in Casablanca, said he did not celebrate the decision awarding Morocco the title: "We would have preferred it to stay with Senegal because it doesn't feel right otherwise. People here have started hating Senegalese. They no longer provide them with help. We used to be like brothers, especially since they are Muslims like us, but that is no longer the case."

The Senegalese government's allegation of "suspected corruption" at CAF followed anger over perceived favoritism toward Morocco, which is a 2030 World Cup co-host and has invested heavily to become a football superpower. CAF President Patrice Motsepe on Wednesday defended the body against claims of bias, stating, "Not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner that is more preferential, or more advantageous, or more favourable than any other country on the African continent."

Source: www.aljazeera.com