DAKAR, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The Senegalese government on Wednesday expressed deep dismay over a decision by the appeal jury of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip Senegal of its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco.

In an official communique issued in Dakar, the government described the ruling as unprecedented and exceptionally serious, saying it ran counter to the principles of fairness, loyalty and respect for the truth on the field.

The communique said Senegal would pursue all appropriate avenues of appeal, including before competent international judicial bodies, in order to restore what it called the primacy of the sporting result. It also called for an independent international investigation into suspected corruption within CAF's governing bodies.

The government said it "unequivocally rejected" what it described as an unjustified attempt to dispossess the Senegalese national team of its title, and pledged to remain resolute in defending the team's rights and the honor of African sport.

Separately, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said it would file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.

In a statement issued overnight, the federation described the CAF appeal jury's ruling as "iniquitous, unprecedented and unacceptable," and said it would act swiftly to defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football.

According to CAF, its Appeal Board decided, in application of Article 84 of the regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, that the Senegal national team had forfeited the final of the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, with the result recorded as 3-0 in favor of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. ■