Senegal stormed off the field in protest at a penalty awarded against them near the end of the 90 minutes of regulation time, following a VAR check by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala after Brahim Diaz had been tugged to the ground by Senegal fullback El Hadji Malick Diouf while defending a corner five minutes into stoppage time.
Officials and players jostled with each other while the referee consulted the touchline screen, and when he made his decision, Senegal walked off.
They returned to beat hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time and win the Africa Cup of Nations amid farcical scenes.
Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw ordered his players off, and it was talisman Sadio Mane who persuaded them to return.
Thiaw was later suspended, although only for matches in the next Cup of Nations qualifiers, which start after the World Cup in June, for which both Morocco and Senegal have qualified.
Tuesday’s decision means Morocco are crowned African champions for the second time, 50 years after they won the Cup of Nations for the first time.
In a statement, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation “acknowledges the decision” and said it wished to reiterate that its approach was never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition regulations.
“The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, the clarity of the competitive framework, and the stability of African competitions,” it added, promising a more formal response on Wednesday.
Senegal’s actions were heavily criticised and seen as a major blight on an otherwise successful tournament. Morocco’s coach Walid Regragui has since quit just months before they head to the World Cup.
CAF also announced the setting aside of a US$100,000 (€86,600) fine on Morocco striker Ismael Saibari and a reduction of his suspension to one match for his role in a tussle with Senegal players near the end of the game.
CAF also said the fine imposed on Morocco for the incident in which ball boys attempted to steal the towel of the Senegal goalkeeper next to his goal was reduced to $50,000 (€43.3K).
But the fine of $100,000 (€86.6K) imposed on Morocco as their players and officials attempted to interfere in the VAR process stands.
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