“This is not AI” — How Senegal stars reacted to CAF handing Morocco AFCON title

The CAF Appeal Board ruled on Tuesday night that Senegal forfeited the match after walking off the pitch in protest of a late penalty awarded to the hosts in Rabat.

Under Articles 82 and 84, any team leaving the ground without authorization is deemed the loser by a 3-0 scoreline.

Following the controversial decision to award Morocco the trophy, players took to social media, posting defiant images of their medals and the 18 January final.

Midfielder Pathe Ciss posted laughing emojis alongside his winner's medal, while defender Moussa Niakhate shared a victory photo with the biting caption: “This is not AI, this is real.”

Talisman Sadio Mane, who famously convinced his teammates to return to the field, released a blistering statement on Instagram.

“What happened went too far. This is not the football we fight for, nor the Africa we believe in,” Mane said.

“There is too much corruption in our game, and it is killing the passion of millions. Players give everything on the pitch, but decisions made off it end up deciding matches and trophies.”

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has branded the ruling a “travesty” with “no legal foundation.”

Secretary General Abdoulaye Seydou Sow confirmed the case is heading to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“We will not back down,” Sow told RTS1. “The truth is on Senegal's side, the law is on Senegal's side.”

While Morocco officially travels to this summer’s World Cup as African champions, the legal battle for the 2025 crown is only just beginning.