It was a night of jubilation in Morocco, but anger in Senegal after the decision to strip the Senegalese national side of their continental football title and hand it to their North African rivals.

Two months after the final whistle blew at a contentious and acrimonious final in Rabat, news came through late on Tuesday evening that tournament hosts Morocco were, in fact, the winners of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) had ruled that Senegal had broken the rules by leaving the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision. The match later resumed, and Senegal won 1-0, but Caf said that the walkout meant they had forfeited the game.

Moroccans took to the streets to celebrate and local media have shown videos of happy fans driving through Tangier waving the national flag, banging tambourines and honking their horns.

Other pictures show triumphant supporters letting off flares.

Speaking to BBC Newsday Moroccan journalist Jalal Bounour said that it was "a sleepless night as fans welcomed the news with great excitement and joy".

There was an overwhelming sense that justice had been done after what Moroccans saw as a violation of the rules.

"I believe this was a sporting injustice, Morocco was certainly wronged and the facts were clear," one man told the BBC in Rabat.

"The entire Moroccan people are out in every city and everywhere, happy with our cup. The cup has returned to us, the cup that was denied to us," a woman, who was wearing the national team's top, told a local sports channel.

"My friend told me that Morocco had won, and I was so happy. I was sleeping at home when I heard this news, and I was so happy. We're so happy now," a man said.

Another fan said the nation was still astonished by the decision: "The team is in shock, I swear I am in shock. Thank God, our cup has returned to us and we are grateful because it was given to us."

The news also dropped like a bombshell in the Senegalese capital, Dakar - but for the opposite reason.

"I'm stunned. Football no longer exists. This is not football. No-one here understands or accepts this decision," a young man, Daouda Seck, told the AFP news agency.

"We're shocked. Corruption has ended up winning."

His views echoed the official response from the Senegalese government which said it would appeal against the decision to take the title away from the national side, adding that the ruling undermined Caf's credibility.

The authorities have also called for an "independent international investigation into suspected corruption within Caf's governing bodies".

"Caf is set to become a laughing stock in the football world, and Africans will be ridiculed for everything that has been said and criticised regarding the organisation of this tournament," another Senegal fan told the BBC.

"I think the best team won on the pitch, and that should be respected off it as well, so the rules, the laws of the sport should come into play at that level," Senegalese student Ralf Nonga told AFP.