It’s insanity of the highest order.
On January 18, Patrice Motsepe, the president of CAF, stood on a podium wearing a black trench coat on a rainy night in Rabat.
He was beaming with joy as he presented the winners’ medals to the Senegalese players following their controversial victory in the African Cup of Nations.
The dramatic final was thrown into turmoil when Senegalese players staged a 17-minute pitch walk-off deep in stoppage time in protest at the hosts being awarded what looked like a soft penalty.
They were eventually convinced to return and ended up scoring the winning goal in extra time.
Now the CAF appeals board has overturned that decision, two months after the chaotic final, to hand the title to Morocco.
“The Senegalese national team is declared to have forfeited the match, and the result was officially recorded as 3-0 in favour of Morocco,” the continental body said in a late-night statement resembling one of Jacob Zuma’s cabinet reshuffles when he was still president.
Senegal will rightfully challenge this Moegoe move at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and they have a strong case.
If the rules were clear on the consequences of a player walkout, why were the Senegalese allowed back onto the pitch and awarded the winner’s trophy?
This travesty of a decision tarnishes African football and will forever define Motsepe’s now almost unblemished presidency.
