CAF instructs Senegalese captain Sadio Mané to hand over the MVP Award to Brahim Díaz

According to multiple international media reports, the governing body has allegedly demanded that Sadio Mané return his Africa Cup of Nations MVP award, intending to give it to Moroccan and Real Madrid star Brahim Díaz instead.

This move follows an even more startling decision by CAF: stripping Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations championship and awarding the title to Morocco.

CAF's official justification for this drastic measure was an alleged "no-show" by Senegal. This refers to a moment during the final when the players briefly left the pitch to protest a controversial refereeing decision involving a VAR-reviewed penalty.

The initial ruling left Senegalese fans and officials in disbelief, but the subsequent actions have escalated the scandal to a new level.

After controversially altering the tournament's outcome, CAF has reportedly also re-evaluated the individual honours, including the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Reports from Bein Sports indicate that the organisation has formally requested that Sadio Mané return the trophy. 

The plan is to retroactively award it to Brahim Díaz, who had a standout performance for Morocco throughout the tournament.

This decision has been widely condemned as unprecedented in modern African football, as it involves changing individual accolades long after the competition has concluded.

Some observers believe the move is an attempt to reshape the tournament's narrative to align with the newly crowned champion, positioning a Moroccan player as the competition's symbolic figurehead. 

Others, however, view it as a decision that deepens the scandal and raises serious questions about the integrity of the competition's governance.