AFCON final dispute escalates as report details new Senegal-Morocco controversies

Nearly three months after the Africa Cup of Nations final, the continental crown is still up for grabs.

Two champions, yet no official winner. An absurd situation with no clear end in sight, at least not anytime soon. Senegal prevailed on the field in a final remembered as much for its chaos as its soccer. Morocco, meanwhile, is fighting to claim victory off the field. African soccer may never look the same again. Seventy-seven days after the final whistle at Rabat’s Moulay Abdellah Stadium, the continent remains locked in a legal battle to determine its champion.

Seventy-seven days after a final that captivated global audiences, there is still no official winner. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has accepted Senegal’s appeal and overturned a decision by the Confederation of African Football, or CAF. A final ruling, however, appears far off. According to French outlet Le Monde, the controversy began days before the opening whistle, when referee Jean-Jacques Ngambo Ndala of the Democratic Republic of Congo took charge of the match.

A hostile setup for Senegal

The first issue was not what unfolded on the field, including a disallowed Senegal goal and a penalty awarded to the host nation that brought the game to a halt. According to Le Monde, Senegal’s problems began at its own base camp.

Upon arriving in Morocco, Senegal’s federation raised concerns about being moved from the luxury Fairmont hotel in Tangier to the Rihab complex, which was not even listed among CAF’s recommended accommodations before the tournament. The team was ultimately placed at the Amphitrite hotel on the outskirts of Rabat, a compromise they accepted reluctantly.

“We want to make it clear that, to our knowledge, neither the Hotel Rihab nor the Amphitrite Rabat appears on the official list of base camps approved and initially communicated by CAF,” wrote Senegal federation secretary general Abdoulaye Saydou Sow in a letter to CAF officials. “This raises legitimate concerns about whether competition standards were followed.”

Turning point before kickoff

Tensions escalated when organizers housed Senegal at the futuristic Mohammed VI Football Complex, widely considered the most advanced training facility in the country. The problem? It was also Morocco’s base camp.

Senegal’s federation voiced concerns about potential surveillance and a lack of tactical privacy, fearing they were operating at a competitive disadvantage.

The breaking point came with what Senegal described as inadequate security upon arrival in Rabat, where police response “fell short,” along with an uneven distribution of match tickets. On Jan. 16, Senegal publicly expressed its concerns for the first time.

“The idea was to alert the public that something was wrong. Everyone had been warned,” Sow told Le Monde.

Matchday chaos

What happened next, Senegal argues, was inevitable.

After Amara Diouf’s goal was ruled out, Morocco was awarded a penalty. Brahim Díaz attempted a Panenka-style kick but missed. Before that, however, came the defining moment of the night: nearly the entire Senegal delegation walked off the field in protest, creating a scene Morocco is now using as part of its legal argument.

CAF under fire

According to Le Monde, Morocco’s federation secretary general, Tarik Najem, highlighted a critical detail. During a CAF executive committee meeting in Dar es Salaam on Feb. 13, the head of CAF’s refereeing committee, Olivier Safari, reportedly acknowledged that institutional instructions were given to the referee during the interruption.

Those instructions allegedly told the referee not to issue yellow cards to Senegal players, which would have resulted in two dismissals, in order to preserve the match upon its resumption.

Morocco has argued the match should be ruled a forfeit, awarding them a 3-0 victory. Senegal continues to reject that outcome.

At a March 26 press conference in Paris, lawyers for the Senegalese federation described the appeal hearing as a “disaster” that lasted only minutes.

“They gave us the impression the presiding judge had already made a decision,” said Seydou Diagne, legal counsel for the federation. “After the hearing, we were placed in a waiting room, and two hours later, the Moroccan side informed us the session had been postponed.”

Conflict of interest claims

Senegal has also raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest within the appeals panel, pointing to the inclusion of lawyer Moez Nasri, who also serves as president of Tunisia’s federation and whose national team competed in the tournament.

The Senegalese federation argues his role is incompatible, claiming he cannot act as both “judge and party.”

Even CAF president Patrice Motsepe expressed surprise at Nasri’s involvement. “What is this?” he reportedly exclaimed during a March 29 press conference, further undermining confidence in the process.

No winner, no resolution

Both federations ultimately point to CAF as the central culprit, accusing the governing body of incompetence and irresponsibility.

“Morocco was not prepared to lose. They did everything possible to secure victory. We said no,” Sow said.

For now, African soccer’s biggest prize remains without an owner.

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