Senegal demands probe after AFCON title loss
Senegal on Wednesday called for an “independent international investigation” into alleged corruption after the Confederation of African Football stripped the country of its Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded it to Morocco.
The controversy arose after several Senegalese players walked off the pitch in Rabat during the final on January 18 in protest against a late penalty awarded to the hosts in second-half stoppage time.
After the players eventually returned—following intervention by captain Sadio Mané—Morocco missed the penalty, and Pape Gueye later scored in extra time to secure a 1-0 victory for Senegal.
However, CAF on Tuesday overturned the result, citing regulations concerning teams leaving the field of play.
“By calling into question a result achieved at the end of a match that was properly played and won in accordance with the rules of the game, the CAF seriously undermines its own credibility,” government spokeswoman Marie Rose Khady Fatou Faye said in a statement.
“Senegal unequivocally rejects this unjustified attempt at dispossession,” she added, calling for “an independent international investigation into suspected corruption within the CAF’s governing bodies”.
CAF stated that, after reviewing Morocco’s appeal, “the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match”, with the result officially recorded as 3-0 in favour of Morocco.
Faye described the decision as “a grossly illegal and profoundly unjust decision”, stressing that Senegal would pursue all available legal options, including approaching the Court of Arbitration for Sport, to restore what it considers the rightful sporting outcome.
Pending arbitration, the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Football Federation has requested that CAF suspend implementation of the ruling and halt any process of returning the trophy to Morocco.
The government also expressed solidarity with Senegalese fans detained in Morocco, where 18 supporters were arrested during the match for alleged hooliganism. They were later sentenced to prison terms ranging from three months to one year, alongside fines.
Senegal reaffirmed its commitment to closely monitoring the situation to ensure a fair and favourable resolution.