Senegal plans to display its Africa Cup of Nations trophy before a match against Peru, rejecting a Confederation of African Football decision to award the title to Morocco. Football chief Abdoulaye Fall called the ruling the 'most blatant administrative robbery' in sports history. The country has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and demanded an investigation into alleged corruption.
Senegal's football federation has vowed to continue its fight after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped the Lions of Teranga of their Africa Cup of Nations title, awarding it instead to tournament hosts Morocco. The decision came last week, nearly two months after Senegal's 1-0 extra-time victory in the final, sealed by Pape Gueye's winner. That triumph followed chaotic scenes in stoppage time, when Senegal's players left the pitch in protest over a contentious penalty awarded to Morocco. After a 17-minute delay, they returned, and Brahim Diaz's Panenka attempt was saved, paving the way for extra time. CAF acted on an appeal from the Moroccan Football Federation, which also requested Senegal's medals and prize money—a demand ignored by Senegalese officials. Federation president Abdoulaye Fall declared: “Faced with what amounts to the most blatant and unprecedented administrative robbery in the history of our sport, the FSF refuses to accept this as inevitable. Senegal will not bend the knee and will not compromise its values. Our fight now transcends the football pitch.” The federation announced plans to present the trophy officially to fans at the Stade de France before Saturday's friendly against Peru, as detailed in a Facebook post. The Senegalese government echoed the rejection in a statement, labeling the ruling a 'grossly illegal and profoundly unjust decision' that undermines sporting ethics and calls for an independent probe into suspected corruption within CAF. It pledged to pursue all legal avenues, including international courts, to restore the result.
