Senegal Could Be Stripped of AFCON Title After Rule Breach

Senegal could face punishment and get stripped of the latest Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title following some incidents that occurred during the final.

The West African country defeated Morocco to secure their second AFCON crown in three tournaments on Sunday. However, the victory was marred by various controversial moments.

Chaos erupted in the 98th-minute when referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded a spot kick to Morocco after a video assistant referee (VAR) advised him to go to the pitchside screen.

The referee concluded that El Hadji Malick Diouf fouled Brahim Diaz in the penalty area.

However, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw took his players off the field as they protest the penalty call. 17 minutes after the decision was made, Sadio Mane and Co returned to the pitch for the penalty to be taken.

Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr very angry with referee Jean-Jacques Ndala decision during the Africa Cup Of Nations Final. (Photo by Torbjorn Tande/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

Real Madrid forward Diaz took the penalty but missed. The former Man City youngster tried a ‘Panenka’ which Edouard Mendy easily caught before the referee called time.

In the fourth minute of extra time, Villarreal’s Pape Gueye scored a stunning left-footed strike to hand Senegal a hard-fought victory.

However, Senegal’s title could be stripped. According to CAF’s regulations, “If, for any reason whatsoever, a team withdraws from the competition or does not report for a match, except in cases of force majeure accepted by the Organising Commissioner refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered a loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition”.

AFCON rules also state that the team will lose the match by 3-0 before the organising committee can take further measures if they see fit.

It’s left to be seen how CAF will handle the situation.