We must denounce 'abject' Afcon decision - senior Caf member
Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in January's final but the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the result on Tuesday because Senegal's players walked off the pitch in protest when hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty. Play resumed after a 17-minute delay, and Brahim Diaz's penalty for Morocco was saved and the game went to extra time, where Senegal's Pape Gueye scored the winner. Following an appeal by the Moroccan Football Association (FRMF), Caf ruled that by walking off the pitch Senegal had forfeited the match, with the "result being recorded as 3-0 in favour" of Morocco.
Augustin Senghor, a Caf executive committee member and former head of the Senegalese Football Federation, told BBC World Service's Newsday: "In a situation like this, we have to fight against injustice. "Football is fair play, football is played is on the field, not in offices. "When you see a committee taking such a decision in violation of our rules, in violation of the Fifa laws of the game, to take the trophy and give it to Morocco, I think it is something very abject.
The FRMF said in a statement on Wednesday that the Caf verdict "upholds respect for rules that are necessary for the proper functioning of international competition". It added: "This decision helps to clarify the framework applicable to similar situations in the future and contributes to the consistency and credibility of international competitions, particularly African football. " But Senghor believes that the decision was made after pressure from the FRMF.
"Senegal will fight because what happened is happening for the first time in the story of African football, in world football," he added. "I am sure that if we [appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport] then we will win and the trophy will never leave Senegal. It is clear in my mind.
" Morocco awarded Afcon title after Caf overturns result 'The longest VAR check in history' - the fallout from shock Afcon decision Former Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal coach Claude Le Roy was also critical of Caf and Gianni Infantino, president of world football's govering body Fifa. "For a long time with Caf, there is nobody of high quality driving this confederation and they are under control of Mr Infantino, and I think all problems are coming from there," he told BBC Newsday. "Before this it was a fantastic Africa Cup of Nations, the most beautiful in the history of Afcon.