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Rabat – Senegal has called for an international investigation into allegations of corruption within the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The statement today followed CAF Appeal Board’s decision to award the AFCON 2025 title to Morocco, ruling that Senegal had breached the tournament’s regulations.
Senegal’s government alleged that the decision aimed at “stripping” the Senegalese national team of its AFCON title, describing the decision as “unprecedented.”
For Senegal, the ruling clashes with the “fundamental principles” that underpin sporting ethics, claiming an erroneous reading of CAF and football regulations.
“By overturning a result earned at the end of a regularly conducted match and won in accordance with the rules of the game, CAF inflicts serious damage on its own credibility as well as on the legitimate trust that African peoples place in continental sports institutions,” Senegal said.
It also called for the opening of an independent international investigation into allegations of corruption within CAF governing bodies, vowing it will take actions to appeal the ruling before international judicial bodies.
Senegal concluded by renewing support to the case of Senegalese fans who vandalized the Rabat stadium that hosted the historic AFCON final on January 18.
During the match, Senegalese fans stormed the pitch and caused chaos while using the stadium facilities to attack security guards.
The chaos followed Pape Thiaw’s call to have his team withdraw from the pitch after the referee of the game awarded a legitimate penalty to Morocco.
Senegal left the pitch and refused to play until interventions came from high level authorities, sparking frustration and concerns.
The withdrawal and disruption ultimately affected Morocco’s play and performance.
According to CAF’s own regulations, Articles 82 and 84 offer an unequivocal framework for addressing situations exactly like those witnessed during the chaotic AFCON 2025 final.
Article 82 states that any team that withdraws, refuses to play, or leaves the pitch before the end of the match without the referee’s authorization must be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition.
Article 84 reinforces this principle, specifying that a team violating these provisions shall be eliminated for good, with the match awarded 3–0 to the opponent unless a more favorable score was already recorded.
