Senegal were stripped of the AFCON title after an appeals committee reviewed the CAF following a protest by its players midway through the final.
Published on March 18, 2026
The Senegalese government has called for an “independent international investigation” into corruption after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to strip the country of its African Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco.
CAFs Decision After an examination by her appointment committee, there was a chaotic finale two months ago.
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The ruling stated that Senegal had “declared forfeit” the final. a 1-0 win after extra time by leaving the pitch during normal time in a 14-minute protest against the award of a penalty to Morocco – which they missed when play resumed.
The result, it was said, was now “officially recorded 3-0” in favor of the host country Morocco.
“By questioning a result at the end of a game duly played and won according to the rules of the game, the CAF is seriously undermining its own credibility,” Senegalese government spokeswoman Marie Rose Khady Fatou Faye said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Senegal unequivocally rejects this unjustified attempt at expropriation,” she said, calling for “an independent international investigation into suspected corruption in the CAF’s governing bodies.”
CAF did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko previously commented on the fallout from the final as he followed his country’s football association in denouncing Morocco’s detention of 18 Senegalese fans following violence during a pitch invasion during players’ protests at the final on January 18 in Rabat.
Regarding the sentence imposed in February, which ranged from three months to a year and included fines, he told the Senegalese parliament: “It seems that this matter goes beyond the field of sport and that is unfortunate.”
“For two countries that call each other friends, like Morocco and Senegal, it shouldn’t have come to this.”
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) announced on Wednesday that it would appeal the CAF’s decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“The Senegalese Football Association condemns this unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision, which casts a shadow over African football,” it said in a statement.
“In order to defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the association will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne as soon as possible.”
It can take up to a year for the court to decide on such a challenge.
