HIBAPRESS – Sports
The Spanish newspaper Marca widely reacted to the decision of the Appeals Committee of the African Football Confederation, which ruled to strip Senegal of the African Cup of Nations title and officially award it to the Moroccan national team, describing what happened as a "stunning surprise" that overturned all expectations.
A media "bomb" shakes African football. The newspaper chose a provocative title: "¡Bombazo!", in reference to the magnitude of the decision and its impact, confirming that the African Union officially announced Morocco's coronation as champion of the African Cup, after reviewing the events of the final match. "Marca" highlighted that this dramatic turn came after the Senegal national team was considered defeated by a score of 3-0, due to its players leaving the field during stoppage time of the match, which was considered a clear violation of the regulations governing the competition. Clear legal violation by Senegal. The newspaper highlighted the legal basis for the decision, pointing out that the withdrawal of the Senegalese national team is a violation of articles 82 and 84 of the African Cup regulations, where the first stipulates that any team that leaves the field without the referee's permission loses, while the second determines the result of the defeat by a clean three goals. It confirmed that the Appeals Committee in "CAF" admitted the occurrence of the violation, which prompted it to cancel the decision of the previous disciplinary committee, and accept the appeal submitted by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. Acceptance of the Moroccan appeal and annulment of the previous decision. The newspaper explained that the Moroccan appeal was considered "sound in form and content", which paved the way for re-resolving the final result, with Morocco officially winning the title. It also indicated that the Appeals Committee did not just cancel the previous decision, but went further than that, by confirming the responsibility of the Senegalese Union for the actions of its players, considering that what happened falls within clear violations that warrant punishment. Additional penalties and financial fines. In a related context, "Marca" touched on the penalties accompanying the decision, as the penalty for the player Ismail Saibari was amended to two matches (one of which is suspended), with the cancellation of the financial fine that was imposed on him. In contrast, "CAF" imposed a financial fine on the Royal Moroccan Football Federation of 50,000 euros, due to events related to the ball collectors, and another fine of $100,000 was imposed on the background of interventions related to video technology (VAR). A decision that turns the scene and grants Morocco a historic title. The Spanish newspaper concluded its coverage by confirming that this decision has brought about a radical shift in the identity of the continent's champion, granting the Moroccan national team a continental title in a legal way, after one of the most controversial endings in the history of the African Cup of Nations.
