Rabat – Senegal wants to “turn the page” on the case of Senegalese fans jailed and convicted in Morocco for their involvement in hooliganism and vandalism during the chaotic 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
Cheikh Niang, Senegal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, responded to criticism from Senegalese citizens, who accused their cabinet of inaction over the detention of 18 supporters.
The criticism came after the arrest and sentences between three months and one year, convicting the fans for their documented vandalism and riots during the Senegal vs Morocco AFCON final.
The vandalism took place after chaos triggered by coach Pape Thiaw, who incited his team to walk off the final after a referee awarded a legitimate penalty to Morocco.
The walk-off caused panic, frustration, and a stoppage time of over 15 minutes, which influenced the course of the match. Fans from Senegal attempted to storm the pitch, damaging the facilities of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium and also attacking guards.
Responding to the criticism, the Senegalese foreign minister told RTS that “for a very long time, diplomacy was constrained.”
“Now that the judicial procedure is over, we have full latitude and have already begun engaging with the Moroccan side,” the minister said.
He announced the start of direct discussions with Morocco to find the best path to the situation.
“This is an extremely painful issue,” he said, citing the “suffering” of the families of detainees and the public’s discomfort.”
“There has been a lot of misunderstanding, and rightly so,” he said. He promised, however, that “the page will be turned, very soon.”
Some of the detainees have already left the prison after finishing their jail terms.
Relations between Senegal and Morocco have long been seen by observers as exemplary and strong.
However, the situation took a new turn following the chaotic final, with the government and federation issuing sensationalized remarks politicizing the situation.
Senegal also accused the Confederation of African Football (CAF) of corruption after the ruling, finding the Teranga Lions involved in breaching the tournament regulation and therefore declaring Morocco the African champions.
Senegal took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), while Morocco maintained that all the circumstances of the case support its appeal.