The story that has unfolded in Africa over the last few hours continues.CAF’s decision to award Morocco the Africa Cup of Nations by default, two months after they lost the final to Senegal in extra time, was bound to spark a wave of discontent in the country of Sadio Mané and his teammates, who were punished on appeal for leaving the pitch for around 20 minutes after a penalty was awarded – which Brahim Diaz subsequently missed.The following day, Senegal, through its Football Association, announced its intention to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, in an attempt to overturn the decision made by the African governing body. For the time being, therefore, the trophy and medals remain in Dakar pending the resolution of this incredible dispute.Senegal decided on Tuesday to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), following the decision by the African Football Confederation (CAF) Appeals Committee to award the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final to Morocco.After an initial complaint was rejected by CAF’s disciplinary committee, Morocco lodged an appeal with CAF’s appeals committee. Against all expectations, the appeals committee ultimately ruled in Morocco’s favour, sparking a wave of outrage in Senegal.In an official statement, the Senegalese Football Federation denounced an “unfair decision”, reiterating its commitment to “defend the rights of Senegalese football by all legal means available”. The country’s sporting authorities believe that the principles of fair play have not been respected."What happened has gone too far. This isn’t the football we fight for; it isn’t the Africa we believe in," wrote captain Sadio Mané on Instagram. "There is too much corruption in our football and it is killing the passion of millions of fans across the continent. The players give their all on the pitch, but decisions made off the pitch decide the matches and the trophies. I am deeply disappointed not only for Senegal, but for African football as a whole. We deserve better. The fans deserve fairness, transparency and respect."The CAF has ordered Senegal to return the Africa Cup of Nations trophy, but national team manager Pape Thiaw has stated that they have no intention of giving up the trophy: in a video posted on social media, the manager is seen holding the trophy, surrounded by soldiers at a military base.Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting