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The decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title is “abject” and “we have to denounce it” a senior figure at African football’s governing body has said.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in January’s final but the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the result on Tuesday because Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest when hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.

Play resumed after a 17-minute delay, and Brahim Diaz’s penalty for Morocco was saved and the game went to extra time, where Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored the winner.

Following an appeal by the Moroccan Football Association (FRMF), Caf ruled that by walking off the pitch Senegal had forfeited the match, with the “result being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.

Augustin Senghor, a Caf executive committee member and former head of the Senegalese Football Federation, told BBC World Service’s Newsday: “In a situation like this, we have to fight against injustice.

“Football is fair play, football is played is on the field, not in offices.

“What happened with Caf was unacceptable.

“When you see a committee taking such a decision in violation of our rules, in violation of the Fifa laws of the game, to take the trophy and give it to Morocco, I think it is something very abject.

“We have to denounce it.”

The FRMF said in a statement on Wednesday that the Caf verdict “upholds respect for rules that are necessary for the proper functioning of international competition”.

It added: “This decision helps to clarify the framework applicable to similar situations in the future and contributes to the consistency and credibility of international competitions, particularly African football.”

But Senghor believes that the decision was made after pressure from the FRMF.

“Senegal will fight because what happened is happening for the first time in the story of African football, in world football,” he added.

“I am sure that if we [appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport] then we will win and the trophy will never leave Senegal. It is clear in my mind.”

Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni has received a provisional one-match suspension after Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr reported alleged racist abuse during last week’s Champions League meeting.

Vinicius told referee Francois Letexier that he had been racially abused by the Argentina winger during the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off tie in Lisbon last Tuesday.

Uefa announced the provisional ban on Monday following the appointment of an ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate the incident.

The European governing body said further punishment could be handed out once the investigation is completed.

Prestianni has denied racially abusing the Brazilian.

Real Madrid and Benfica meet for the second leg in the Spanish capital on Wednesday (20:00 GMT).

Last week’s first leg was halted for 10 minutes after Vinicius alerted on-field official Letexier to the second-half incident, before he and his team-mates temporarily left the pitch.

It came after Vinicus, 25, scored a stunning goal and then received a yellow card for his celebrations in front of the Benfica supporters.

Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, who is suspended for the second leg following his sending off later in the match, was criticised for his post-match comments after saying he believed that Vinicius had celebrated disrespectfully.

Because of his ban, Mourinho will not speak to the media before the match – but Benfica have the option of making the assistant coach available instead.