Senegal dispute over the Africa Cup of Nations title took another dramatic turn as the team confirmed plans to parade the trophy ahead of their international friendly against Peru in Paris, despite being officially stripped of the crown.
The Teranga Lions had originally been crowned champions after a tense 1-0 victory over Morocco in the final on January 18, a match that descended into controversy when Senegal players briefly walked off the pitch following a late penalty decision in favour of the hosts.
CAF later overturned that result, awarding Morocco a 3-0 win after ruling that Senegal breached competition regulations by leaving the field of play. The decision has since sparked outrage within Senegal’s football authorities.
Speaking in Paris, Senegal Football Federation president Abdoulaye Fall made it clear the country has no intention of backing down from the fight to reclaim the title.
“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,” Fall said.
“Senegal will not bend the knee and will not compromise its values. Our fight now transcends the football pitch.”
The federation has already taken the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which has acknowledged receipt of the appeal and promised to deliver a ruling as quickly as possible, although no timeline has been set.
Senegal’s legal team also weighed in strongly against CAF’s verdict, describing the ruling as unjust and unprecedented in modern football. Lawyer Seydou Diagne labelled the decision “so blatant, so absurd, so irrational,” while fellow counsel Juan Perez questioned the legitimacy of altering a match result after full time.
The controversy stems from the chaotic closing stages of the final in Rabat, where a stoppage-time penalty awarded to Morocco triggered protests from Senegal’s players. Although the referee had concluded the match, Morocco’s football federation filed a complaint, arguing that the walk-off disrupted the integrity of the game.
CAF’s disciplinary committee initially dismissed the protest and sanctioned both teams, but Morocco pursued the case further. The appeals board later ruled in their favour, citing violations of Articles 82 and 84, which address teams abandoning matches without official permission.
Despite CAF updating its records to list Morocco as champions, Senegal have refused to recognise the decision. Saturday’s planned trophy parade in Paris underlines their defiance and signals that the battle for the 2025 AFCON title is far from resolved.
With the case now in the hands of sport’s highest judicial body, the final verdict will determine whether Senegal’s on-field victory stands or CAF’s administrative ruling prevails.
