Senegal Defies CAF, Parades AFCON Trophy in France
Senegal’s national team paraded the Africa Cup of Nations trophy before thousands of fans at the Stade de France on Saturday, openly defying a Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruling that stripped them of the title and awarded it to Morocco.
Led by captain Kalidou Koulibaly, the players carried the trophy onto the pitch ahead of a friendly against Peru in Saint-Denis, a Paris suburb with a large Senegalese diaspora.
The Senegalese Football Association had earlier announced its intention to present the trophy to supporters despite CAF’s decision.
CAF’s appeals board last week declared Senegal to have forfeited January’s final after players briefly left the field in protest over a penalty awarded to Morocco. The ruling converted Senegal’s 1-0 extra-time victory into a 3-0 default win for the hosts.
Senegalese FA president Abdoulaye Fall denounced the decision as ‘the most grossly unfair administrative robbery’ in football history and vowed to challenge it at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland. The government has also called for an international investigation into alleged corruption within CAF.
Senegal’s legal team confirmed that an appeal has been lodged with CAS, which typically takes months to deliver a verdict. However, lawyers are seeking an expedited process that could resolve the case within two months if CAF and Morocco agree.
For now, Senegal insists it remains Africa’s champion, with Saturday’s trophy parade serving as a symbolic show of defiance and solidarity with its fans.
