After two months of Senegal winning AFCON and celebrating it in the streets with their people, there is now a shocking twist. CAF has decided to take the trophy away from Senegal and hand it to Morocco. Goodness me. Yes, you read that right.

The Confederation of African Football confirmed that the decision came after an appeal from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation following the dramatic final.

Senegal had originally won the match in extra time, but the game itself was overshadowed by controversy after the team briefly walked off the pitch during normal time in protest of a refereeing call.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was present at the final, later described the incident as “unacceptable,” pointing to the disruption caused when Senegal’s players left the field, leading to a delay of more than 15 minutes.

What happened on the night

The chaos unfolded late in the game. Morocco were awarded a penalty deep into second half stoppage time, just minutes after Senegal had a potential match winning goal ruled out. The decision sparked furious reactions from the Senegal bench.

Head coach Pape Thiaw urged his players to walk off in protest. Almost the entire team followed, with captain Sadio Mane the only player who remained on the pitch. The match was halted for around 16 minutes before Senegal returned and play resumed.

When action finally continued, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz stepped up but missed the penalty (It was a panenka effort). The game went in to extra time, Senegal struck decisively, with Pape Gueye scoring in the 94th minute to seal what seemed like a historic victory.

The situation in the stadium also spiralled during the delay, with clashes breaking out between Senegal and Morocco fans at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah, adding to an already volatile night.

Why CAF overturned the result

CAF’s appeals board reviewed the incident and ruled that Senegal had breached tournament regulations. In its official statement, the governing body said the team’s actions fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON rules.

Article 82 states that any team leaving the pitch before the end of a match without the referee’s approval forfeits the game. Article 84 adds that such a team will be recorded as losing 3-0, unless the opponent was already leading by a bigger margin.

Based on that interpretation, Senegal’s victory was nullified and the title was awarded to Morocco.

Senegal have been declared to have forfeited the match with Morocco declared 3-0 winners by official statement.

Can Senegal challenge the decision?

CAF made it clear that all other appeals were dismissed, effectively closing the case within its own structure. However, Senegal still have the option of taking the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the independent body that handles global sporting disputes.

A decision that raises more questions

All of this leaves a bitter aftertaste. While the rulebook does provide grounds for punishment when a team walks off, the timing of the decision has drawn serious criticism.

It should be within the power of officials to act in real time and disqualify a team if such a breach occurs. Rewriting the result months later, after celebrations and history have already been made, feels deeply problematic.

Morocco, for their part, accepted Senegal’s return to the pitch, resumed play without objection, and took the penalty that could have changed everything. They missed it, conceded moments later, and lost the final on the field.

To then appeal and be awarded the trophy after the fact may be legally sound, but it does not sit right. For many, it feels less like justice and more like a hollow victory. It will negatively affect the reputation of the competetion and the federation.

GN

Cristiano Ronaldo gave his first message to the UD Almeria squad as co-owner following the side’s 3-0 win over Cultural Leonesa on Monday night in La Liga 2.

In late February news broke that Ronaldo had taken a major step into club ownership after acquiring a 25 percent stake in Spanish side Almeria through his CR7 Sports Investments company.

Speaking on the decision the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, said: “It has been a longtime ambition of mine to contribute to football, beyond the pitch.”

A commanding victory over Cultural Leonesa saw Almeria climb back into second place in the in the Spanish second division, an automatic promotion spot, prompting praise from Ronaldo for the team’s performance.

Following the game, Ronaldo posted a picture of the Almeria team celebrating on his Instagram story, with text which read “Great win today. We continue.”

After suffering relegation last season, Almeria are firmly in the fight for promotion from La Liga 2. The side currently sit second in the table, just four points behind leaders Racing de Santander, with their recent victory over Cultural Leonesa providing another positive step in their push to secure an immediate return to the Spanish top flight.

GN

The Australian government has been urged to allow the Iran women’s national team players to remain in Australia after a state-aligned conservative commentator in Iran described them as “wartime traitors” and said they must be “dealt with more severely”.

The Iran players are currently competing in the Women’s Asian Cup, and lost 4-0 to the Matildas on the Gold Coast in their second group-stage match on Thursday.

Their final match is against the Philippines on Sunday night, after which they are due to return home to Iran.

Footage shared on social media platform X on Friday showed Iran state television presenter Mohammad Reza Shahbazi accusing the team of dishonour for not singing the national anthem before their first match against South Korea on Monday.

Before kick-off in their match against the Matildas on Thursday, the Iran players sang the anthem and saluted in a clear contrast to their approach to the anthem on Monday.

Iran head coach Marzieh Jafari and team staff during the national anthem before facing Australia in the Women’s Asian Cup. Photograph: Nigel Owen/Action Plus/Shutterstock

Refugee Council chief executive Paul Power said: “certainly on the evidence that’s available, it would appear that the members of the women’s soccer team are at risk if they’re returned”, noting that people in Iran involved in “quite simple acts of peaceful protests have suffered dire consequences”.

Germany-based Iranian journalist Ali Bornaei tagged foreign minister Penny Wong on X alongside the footage, calling on the Australian government to afford the team protection.

“The lives of the Iranian Women’s National Football Team are in imminent danger. After their peaceful protest in Australia, Iranian state-linked media has officially labeled them ‘wartime traitors’,” Bornaei posted.

“In Iran, ‘treason’ is a capital offense punishable by death. These athletes face arbitrary detention and execution if forced to return.”

Iran’s women’s team refuse to sing national anthem before Asian Cup tie – video

Wong said the Australian government “stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression”.

“They have suffered brutal acts of violence and intimidation, with women in particular being oppressed by the regime,” she said.

“We have called on the Iranian regime to protect its own people and allow for the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal.”

Wong added: “We hope the Iranian team’s participation in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup will inspire future generations of young Iranians to continue to promote women’s rights and participation in sport.”

The minister for home affairs, Tony Burke, has responsibility for Australia’s humanitarian migration program. He declined to comment.

Power said Australia ratified the refugee convention to address these specific circumstances, but the country is not obliged to act unless a claim is made.

“This whole system is designed to protect people in circumstances like this, but ultimately it’s up to the individuals to decide what is best for them and for the people that they’re connected to.”

A large victory by Iran over the Philippines on the Gold Coast on Sunday could secure the team a place in the quarter-finals as one of the best third-placed sides across the Asian Cup’s three pools.

Australia meet South Korea in Sydney on Sunday to decide the winner of Group A.

The Guardian