Senegal will parade its Africa Cup of Nations trophy before its friendly against Peru at the Stade de France, despite being stripped of the 2023 title by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Lions of Teranga won the final 1-0 after extra time over Morocco, but CAF later overturned the result, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory for leaving the field during stoppage time. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has accepted Senegal’s appeal and will rule swiftly.
FSF President Abdoulaye Fall called the decision an "unprecedented administrative robbery," declaring Senegal will not "bend the knee." The federation has assembled a legal team, including lawyer Seydou Diagne, who denounced the ruling as "absurd" and "irrational."
CAF cited Articles 82 and 84 of its regulations, claiming Senegal violated match conduct rules. But Senegal’s legal team argues the referee had already ended the match - making the reversal unprecedented in football history.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe defended the board’s independence, rejecting claims of corruption. Meanwhile, Senegal refuses to surrender the physical trophy.
The outcome now rests with CAS - the final arbiter of whether Senegal retains its title or Morocco is officially crowned.