The government of Senegal has strongly criticized a decision by the Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football, which stripped the country of the Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded it to Morocco, calling for an investigation into alleged corruption within the body.
On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, the Office of the President of Senegal issued a statement via its official social media platforms, expressing its position regarding the withdrawal of the 2025 AFCON title that it had won earlier this year.
The government stated that, prior to this decision, there had been a misinterpretation of the regulations governing the Africa Cup of Nations.
“The Government of Senegal regrets the decision of CAF’s Appeals Committee to strip the Senegal national team of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco. In a serious and unprecedented manner, this decision does not comply with the principles governing football, including fairness, integrity, and respect based on truth,” It said.
Senegal further stated that it would not tolerate what it described as injustice and called on international legal bodies to intervene and examine issues within CAF.
It added that “Senegal will not tolerate this decision marked by institutional dysfunction, lack of transparency, and disregard for the integrity of football. Senegal strongly condemns this inappropriate ruling.”
“Therefore, it calls on international investigative bodies to examine corruption within CAF leadership. Senegal will cooperate fully in these efforts, including taking the matter to court, in order to restore justice in football.”
The CAF Appeals Committee based its ruling on Article 84 of the AFCON regulations, declaring Senegal forfeited in the final match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco, awarding a 3–0 victory to the Moroccan Football Federation.
This was followed by a statement from the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), which announced that it would soon appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
