The decision to strip Senegal of the AFCON title shows just how out of touch the hosts of the game are |

59 days ago Sadio Mane, the captain of Senegal, held the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) above his head, as golden confetti fell around his tired Senegalese teammates.

It was 59 days ago that Senegal captain Sadio Mané lifted the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy over his head as golden confetti fell around his tired Senegalese teammates.

It was also 59 days ago that Moroccan players buried their heads in their hands, not wanting to face the fact that they lost in one of the most dramatic football finals in the history of life.

Despite the tension and many other things that happened on that unforgettable night in Rabat, Morocco, the final was over.One team was excited, the other heartbroken.That's the point of an elite game.

But now, 59 days later, a packed auditorium has decided to overturn what happened at the Prince Moulay Abdullah Stadium.

The unprecedented decision came somewhat suddenly, when CAF issued a statement on Tuesday night amid the events of the UEFA Champions League announcing that it had given Morocco a 3-0 victory in the final, making them champions of the African Cup of Nations.

It was a statement that shocked the football world, and perhaps reflects just how out of touch the people running the tournament are.

What happened in the final?

To understand the decision, it is useful to summarize exactly what happened in the final decision eight weeks ago.

The match will be remembered for the decision of some Senegalese players to walk off the field in protest at a penalty awarded to Morocco in the final moments with the score 0–0.

The referee's decision came just minutes after Senegal scored a controversial goal at the other end, all of which contributed to attacks on the pitch and seats.

In an emotional situation, Senegal's head coach Pape Thiau ordered his players to leave the pitch in protest.Some of his team listened and disappeared into the dressing room, while others stayed on the field to calm the situation.

After a long break, all of Senegal's players returned to the field for Morocco's Brahim Diaz to miss the most spectacularly controversial penalty imaginable.

The Lions of Teranga scored a brilliant goal in extra time to win the final 1-0 and become AFCON champions for the second time.

There are also some broader contexts to consider.African football has long had deep mistrust, particularly between national confederations and countries, but also between CAF.

For example, surrounding this particular Africa Cup of Nations match, there were rumors that Moroccan officials were receiving preferential treatment both on and off the field.

All of this contributed to what we saw in the finale.

Disappointed by the defeat, the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) said it would take legal action against Senegal's decision to walk off the field temporarily, saying it had a "huge impact" on the match.

In January, CAF also handed out several punishments to Senegal and Morocco, with individual players and managers facing punishment for ugly late-match scenes.

That, many thought, would be it.Page certainly launched a memorable chapter in African football.

But after an appeal by the Moroccan federation, CAF decided to overturn the result, saying Senegal had left the field early and lost the match.

Explaining the decision, the governing body cited Article 82 of the tournament's rules which reads: "If a team withdraws from the tournament for any reason or fails to report for the match, or refuses to play or leaves the field before the end of the match, it shall be considered a loss and removed from the current tournament for good.

Of course, Senegal ended up finishing the game and winning 1-0.

Interestingly, the FRMF initially distanced itself from the decision, saying in a statement that it was not "committed to challenging the industry of club sports."The FRMF is expected to make another statement on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Senegal said on Tuesday it will appeal CAF's "unjust" decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the world's highest judicial body.

But while those behind the desks wrote calls and statements, Senegal's players took to social media to share photos of their celebrations from previous weeks.

And that's the problem.

"We know what we went through that night in Rabat. Nobody can take that away from us," Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye said on social media on Tuesday.

Of course, some in Morocco were delighted with the result and celebrated what looked like an empty victory when the emotions of the finals were already felt.

It was a bus parade through the streets of Senegal's capital, where Senegal lifted the trophy.

And Morocco's players have spent the last two months processing the defeat, their fans nursing the wounds of missing the opportunity to properly celebrate the international cup.

And while the dispute will take months to resolve in CAS, no statement from the governing body or company board can rewrite what happened after the final whistle in January.

Football is played and should always be played on the field.Any attempt to change it will result in many people abandoning the game the world loves.