‘unjust And Ridiculous’: Senegalese Football Fans Bewildered By Loss Of Afcon Title

Two days aft nan Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Senegal of its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and alternatively declared nan big nation, Morocco, champions, Alhassan Hann remains successful shock.

“We didn’t expect this astatine all,” nan 23-year-old Dakar assemblage student said. “This determination is unjust. Personally, I find it ridiculous. I deliberation it doesn’t springiness a very bully image of African football.”

CAF’s sensational announcement connected Tuesday evening came 2 months aft nan 18 January final, which ended successful a 1-0 triumph for Senegal, courtesy of an extra-time goal. The crippled itself had go mired successful contention erstwhile immoderate Senegalese players staged a 15-minute walk-off nan closing minutes of regular clip successful protestation astatine Morocco being awarded a penalty.

Morocco revenge an entreaty saying that nan walk-off efficaciously meant Senegal had forfeited nan match, and a CAF disciplinary sheet headed by a Nigerian judge ruled successful its favour, handing Morocco a 3-0 default win.

CAF’s reversal has sent a daze activity astir nan footballing world, inspiring jokes and memes. “I thought it was an April fool’s joke,” said nan Dakar-born ex-French world Patrice Evra. “The existent champions are Senegal and they ever will be.” A post connected X from Domino’s Pizza UK read: “Just had Morocco travel successful and cod Senegal’s order.”

In Africa, astir fans and commentators person been vocal successful their support of Senegal, arguing that nan determination by nan referee, Jean-Jacques Ndala, to restart and decorativeness nan lucifer aft nan walk-off made nan consequence binding.

For nan Senegalese, nan temper has shifted from euphoria astatine being champions to fury and disbelief. “We are bordering connected nan burlesque here,” said El Hadji Thierno Dramé, a journalist pinch authorities broadcaster Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise. “We knew Morocco had revenge an entreaty and we expected possibly harsher sanctions against nan players aliases nan coach, but to spell arsenic acold arsenic stripping nan trophy from nan Senegalese team? It’s a catastrophe and it is thing Senegal will not fto descent … it must beryllium reiterated, contempt nan incidents, [that] nan lucifer reached its conclusion.”

Senegal has confirmed it will record an entreaty against nan “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision” astatine nan tribunal of arbitration for athletics successful Lausanne.

“This unprecedented and exceptionally superior determination straight contradicts nan basal principles of sporting ethics, foremost among which are fairness, loyalty and respect for nan truth of nan game,” nan Senegalese Football Federation said successful its statement.

A poster of Senegal’s skipper Sadio Mané alongside nan 2025 Afcon trophy successful Dakar. Photograph: Nicolas Remene/AFP/Getty Images

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation, CAF, and successful peculiar Patrice Motsepe, nan South African billionaire who heads it, person each been connected nan receiving extremity of a backlash this week. Speculation astir alleged corruption and favouritism has besides been rife.

The Senegal left-back Ismail Jakobs antecedently alleged that 3 of his teammates were poisoned connected nan eve of nan final, echoing similar claims made successful 2017 by Gabon’s coach and players earlier a lucifer against Morocco.

Tensions betwixt nan various shot authorities were already moving precocious earlier a shot was kicked. The Senegalese Football Federation revenge a petition earlier nan final, claiming it had received only 2 VIP tickets and 3,152 successful full for nan match, which was played successful nan 53,000-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium successful Rabat.

Pape Ousmane Ba, a 32-year-old entrepreneur, voiced nan astir cynical of these suspicions. “It’s corruption … erstwhile you’ve already ‘eaten,’ you person to present to fulfill nan 1 who gave you nan money,” he said.

“I deliberation African shot is very corrupt and this ungraded shows it successful a flagrant light. As nan big country, Morocco did everything to triumph nan Afcon done schemes and cover-ups.”

Like his compatriots, Ba is optimistic that nan CAF determination will beryllium overruled and nan trophy returned to Senegal. “We won pinch dignity, we celebrated pinch dignity … this is sick,” he said. Football is won connected nan pitch. That is wherever we hit them. Out there, 11 against 11.”