Senegal Faults Morocco Over ‘Dangerous Precedent’ in AFCON Dispute

The President of the Senegal Football Association, Abdoulaye Fall, has urged caution and dialogue in resolving the case involving 18 Senegalese supporters currently detained in Morocco.

The fans were sentenced by Moroccan courts to prison terms ranging from three months to one year after being found guilty of misconduct and rioting during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.

Speaking to the Senegalese News Agency, Fall described the situation as troubling and called for restraint. He stressed that disputes arising from sporting events should be handled within football authorities rather than the courts.

“It is a painful situation for everyone involved,” he said, warning that taking such matters to court could set a “dangerous precedent.”

The supporters, backing Senegal’s Teranga Lions, were arrested in Rabat during the controversial AFCON final on January 19. The match was halted after Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest over a late penalty awarded to host nation Morocco. In the aftermath, some fans attempted to invade the pitch, leading to arrests and charges of hooliganism and assault on security personnel.

In February, the courts handed down sentences alongside fines of up to 5,000 dirhams (about $545).

Meanwhile, the fallout from the contentious final has reignited, with Senegal preparing to challenge the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). CAF had earlier awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory after Senegal withdrew from the match, a decision that sparked outrage within Senegal’s football community.

Senegal initially appealed to CAF’s Appeals Committee, arguing that poor security conditions justified their withdrawal and calling for the match result to be annulled. However, the committee upheld CAF’s decision, stating that Senegal voluntarily left the pitch and declined to address issues relating to the trophy or financial rewards.

Notably, CAF has yet to formally declare Morocco as champions, leaving uncertainty over the tournament’s official winner.

Following the Appeals Committee’s ruling, Senegal is now set to take its case to CAS in Lausanne. Reports indicate that the federation is finalising its submission in a bid to overturn or review the decision.

CAS Director General Mathieu Reeb has assured that the case will be handled swiftly while ensuring fairness to all parties. Once delivered, the court’s ruling will be final.

With both sides standing firm, the long-running dispute over the 2025 AFCON final is now entering a निर्णive stage, as Senegal argues that its withdrawal was due to unavoidable circumstances, while Morocco maintains its claim to victory.