Controversial decision shakes Senegal-Morocco football final

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 final remains a flashpoint of intense debate. Following the Confederation of African Football (CAF)‘s contentious appeal jury ruling on March 17, which awarded Morocco a technical 3-0 victory despite Senegal’s 1-0 win on the field, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has escalated the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Simultaneously, another pressing issue is unfolding. 18 Senegalese supporters face charges of hooliganism linked to the chaotic scenes during the January 18 final. Initially sentenced on February 19 to prison terms ranging from three months to a year, their appeal hearing took place in Rabat this week.

Court proceedings revealed that supporters given three-month sentences may be released as early as this coming Saturday. However, the prosecution has pushed for harsher penalties, including up to two years in prison, as reported by RMC. The accused are charged with assaulting law enforcement, pitch invasion, and projectile throwing.

admission of mistakes in supporters’ defense

The defense presents a starkly different narrative. The supporters claim their descent onto the pitch stemmed from crowd pressure or an attempt to escape « spitting and projectile attacks », rather than protesting a referee’s call. « Mistakes were made, and those responsible for the chaos remain in Senegal, not here », argued Patrick Kabou, one of their lawyers, in an interview with AFP.

The hearing saw sharp procedural clashes. The defense sought to present video evidence to formally identify the accused, a request dismissed by the prosecution on grounds of clear evidence. « The entire world witnessed these distressing images live », the prosecution countered.