Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has revisited the Teboho Mokoena saga after the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeals Board, to declare Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations champions.
South Africa was eliminated at the last-16 of the AFCON, in which Senegal was crowned champions after beating hosts Morocco in a controversial final at the Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat.
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The game was halted for close to 17 minutes after a series of events, which saw the Lions of Teranga head coach Pape Thiaw call his players off the pitch, after a goal was disallowed and penalty, shortly after, was awarded to the Atlas Lions with minutes left on the clock.
Senegal fans also invaded the pitch which started a mass brawl behind the away side’s goalposts in chaotic scenes, but they eventually returned to finish the game after captain Sadio Mane, who remained on the pitch, convinced the squad to see the game out.
Brahim Diaz missed the resulting penalty with a failed panenka, and the West Africans went on to win the title with Pape Gueye scoring a stunner in extra-time to secure the 1-0 win and second title for his nation.
But this has now been overturned by the Appeals Board, which has decided the match was forfeited and Morocco are 3-0 winners of the game, which Broos says is correct, based on the rules, but the timing is not.
“The only thing I can say is that CAF shows again there’s no consistency in their decisions, it’s very painful for Senegal to lose that cup, but there is a rule, article 80-something, so there is a rule,” Broos said when asked by iDiski Times about the recent events.
“If you leave the pitch, it’s forfeit, done, finish. So, in that direction I can follow. The only thing is why was it not done earlier? Why wait two months? On the other side, there’s also a rule, when you select a player with two yellow cards, that directly after the game you must complain.
“And 24 hours later you have to send your complaint to FIFA – it didn’t happen when we put Mokoena in the team and six months later, they decided to deduct three points, even the rules said what they had to do, it’s something I don’t understand.
“I said it already before, you have to be consistent in what you decide and not for this one doing that and the other one doing this, and not following the rules – so here again, it’s very painful, they could have done it much earlier, not even wait for a complaint for Morocco, look here there’s the rule, out, Morocco has the cup.”
Senegal has since appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (Cas), which could once again declare them as champions – should they win the case.
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