CAF Ruling Adds Senegal to Infamous List of Stripped Champions
Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph has ended in controversy after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped the Teranga Lions of their 2026 title.
The decision followed Morocco’s successful appeal over Senegal’s conduct in the final, where the team walked off in protest at a late penalty.
CAF subsequently awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory and the trophy, leaving Senegal champions for only two months.
The ruling places Senegal among a notorious group of clubs and nations who have seen their titles revoked long after the celebrations.
In France, Marseille’s 1992/93 Ligue 1 crown was annulled after revelations of bribery involving club president Bernard Tapie.
Valenciennes players were offered money to ease off in a decisive fixture, but one player reported the attempt. Marseille were relegated to Ligue 2, while runners-up PSG refused the title. Despite the scandal, Marseille retained their Champions League trophy.
Italy has witnessed multiple cases.
Juventus lost their 2004/05 and 2005/06 Serie A titles in the Calciopoli scandal, which exposed referee manipulation orchestrated by General Manager Luciano Moggi.
The club was relegated to Serie B, though Juventus continue to count the titles unofficially. In the same era, Genoa were stripped of their Serie B crown after paying Venezia officials €250,000 to throw a match that secured promotion. The bribe was discovered in a car, and Genoa were relegated to Serie C1.
Scotland’s Highland League endured its own controversy in 1992/93 when Elgin City switched their final fixture to a Friday to field suspended players, including player/manager John Teasdale.
The league stripped them of the title, and runners-up Cove Rangers refused to accept it by default, leaving the season without a champion for the first time in over a century.
In China, Shanghai Shenhua were stripped of their 2003 league title after revelations of referee bribery.
General manager Lou Shifang was implicated in fixing matches, including a crucial derby. Authorities voided the season years later, declaring no champion.
Senegal now joins this infamous list, their AFCON triumph erased from the record books.
The ruling underscores how football’s governing bodies have, on rare occasions, overturned results long after the final whistle.
