Senegal intends to showcase the Africa Cup of Nations trophy prior to their match against Peru in Paris on Saturday, with the leader of the national football federation pledging a “crusade” against the ruling to revoke the title from the team.
On 18 January, the Lions of Teranga secured their second Afcon title by defeating host Morocco 1-0 in extra time, following tumultuous events as Senegal players left the field when their rivals received a last-minute penalty with the score tied.
However, last week the Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed that outcome, granting Morocco a 3-0 win.
On Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) acknowledged receiving Senegal’s appeal regarding that decision, assuring to provide a ruling “as quickly as possible.”
“Faced with what amounts to the most blatant and unprecedented administrative robbery in the history of our sport, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) refuses to accept this as inevitable,” FSF president Abdoulaye Fall said at a media conference in the French capital.
Shortly before making his remarks, FSF social media posted a timetable for events around Saturday’s friendly at the Stade de France, which included a trophy parade.
“Senegal will not bend the knee and will not compromise its values,” added Fall. “Our fight now transcends the football pitch.”
After the contentious finale in Rabat—where Morocco and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz failed to convert a Panenka penalty to clinch the match in the 114th minute—the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) promptly filed a complaint with CAF and FIFA, asserting that Senegal exiting the pitch “significantly impacted the normal progression of the match and the players’ morale.”
Caf’s disciplinary committee first dismissed that appeal, subsequently imposing sanctions on both parties, which included a five-match suspension for Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw, on January 29.
The FRMF stated that the initial penalties did not “reflect the severity of the incidents,” a sentiment echoed by Caf’s appeal board, which issued a statement on 17 March indicating that Senegal had violated articles 82 and 84 of the competition rules.
Article 82 indicates that if a team “exits the field prior to the official conclusion of the match without the referee’s consent,” they will be disqualified.
The Senegalese government responded by calling for an investigation into “suspected corruption” at CAF, a claim rebuffed by the governing body’s president, Patrice Motsepe, who has been at pains to point out the appeal board’s independence.
“It is important that the decisions of our Caf disciplinary board and the Caf appeals board are viewed with respect and integrity,” he said.
The final decision on who claims the 2025 Afcon title now rests with CAS, sports’ highest judicial authority.
“To wage this moral and legal crusade, we have appointed a team of seasoned professionals with undeniable expertise,” Fall announced in Paris, flanked by members of the FSF legal team.
One of them, lawyer Seydou Diagne, described the decision to strip Senegal of their title as “so blatant, so absurd, so irrational.”
“The decision of the appeals jury cannot even be considered a true decision of sporting justice,” he added.
“It is an unacceptable and intolerable attack on the fundamental rights of our national football federation.”
Fellow lawyer Juan Perez said, “A match that was over, whose result had been decided by the referee, now being re-refereed administratively—that’s unprecedented. You haven’t seen anything like it. It could change the world of football.”
Caf recently revised the Afcon 2025 review on its website, naming Morocco as the winners, though that page seems to have been removed now.
Senegal’s unwillingness to give up the trophy, along with Saturday’s scheduled parade demonstrating their disdain, means the fight for the title of African champions is not yet concluded.
