'Who will come and collect our medals?' - Senegal players mock AFCON decision

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IDKYO3R8/"]Morocco[/a] were declared Africa Cup of Nations ‌champions after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/senegal/hOIsJLJr/"]Senegal[/a] were ruled to have forfeited the game in Rabat ‌on January 18 because they walked off the ‌pitch in protest at a potentially decisive penalty awarded against ‌them.[/p][p]They returned after 14 minutes to win the match ‌1-0 courtesy of a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gueye-pape/p6rsDQvN/"]Pape Gueye[/a] goal in extra time. CAF's Appeal Board replaced that result with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/morocco-IDKYO3R8/senegal-hOIsJLJr/?mid=0KhPZfnQ"]3-0[/a] victory for Morocco ‌late on Tuesday.[/p][p]Senegal's players responded with jokes ⁠and sarcastic comments on ‌social media.[/p][p]Midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ciss-pathe/zRB7v9IT/"]Pathe Ciss[/a] posted a picture of him holding the ​trophy and celebrating on X, saying [b]"you can give the crybabies three more goals" [/b]with a laughing ​emoji attached. Midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lamine-camara-mamadou/IkEAMPRm/"]Mamadou Lamine Camara[/a] said [b]"Who will come and collect our medals?"[/b] and asked when the Moroccan parade was ⁠planned.[/p][embed guid="c4cb98b5-600e-400c-bb4f-7a924e536742" url="https://x.com/pathe_22/status/2034030433915056593?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Centre back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/niakhate-moussa/tdnibGHH/"]Moussa Niakhate[/a] ​posted an image from the aftermath of the final, writing [b]"This is not AI, this is real,"[/b] while defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/malick-diouf/n1SNJhEe/"]El Hadji Malick Diouf[/a] said [b]"This trophy is won on the pitch, ‌not by email." [/b]Forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dia-boulaye/zk0Q52W2/"]Boulaye Dia[/a] added [b]"You don't create emotions; you have to experience them."[/b][/p][p]Midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gueye-idrissa/f12b2WQA/"]Idrissa Gueye[/a] took a more philosophical approach on Instagram.[/p][p][b]"Titles, trophies, medals – all of that is fleeting. What really matters is that every fan can go home to their families... We know what we lived that evening in Rabat. And no one can take that away from us,"[/b] he wrote.[/p][image alt="Senegal star Sadio Mane with the AFCON trophy" id="0ac037c2-56a6-4cc2-b0ef-7d4ed708c4ad" credit-line="FRANCK FIFE / AFP" guid="40a5eaa6-921a-4adc-beea-dd320d0d4f27" original-width="6000" original-height="4000" /][p]The Senegalese Football ‌Federation have condemned the decision to strip them of ​their title, calling it [b]"unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable"[/b], while the ‌country's government on Wednesday urged an independent international investigation into CAF.[/p][p]The Royal Moroccan Football Federation acknowledged the decision and reiterated that the appeal was aimed solely at having the competition regulations properly applied. CAF did ⁠not immediately respond to a ⁠request for comment.[/p]