Morocco King Pardons Senegal Fans Following AFCON Final Disturbances
The decision comes as Senegal’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport regarding the match result remains pending, with a ruling potentially taking up to a year.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has issued a royal pardon to 18 Senegalese football supporters who were imprisoned following disturbances at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat. A statement from the royal court confirmed the release was granted on humanitarian grounds, citing the “age-old fraternal ties” between the two nations and the occasion of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday.
The supporters were detained after pitch invasions and disturbances occurred following the conclusion of the final match on 18 January. The unrest was triggered by a controversial penalty decision awarded to Morocco in injury time, which led Senegal players and staff to walk off the field in protest. The match was temporarily halted for 14 minutes during the incident.
Following the walk-off, play resumed and Morocco missed the penalty kick. Senegal subsequently scored to secure a 1-0 victory in injury time. However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) later overturned this result, awarding the match 3-0 to Morocco due to Senegal’s breach of tournament regulations.
CAF upheld an appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, stating that Senegal had infringed regulations by leaving the field. The governing body’s decision effectively crowned Morocco as champions of the 2025 tournament, despite the on-field result favouring Senegal.
Senegal has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the Switzerland-based body responsible for resolving sports-related disputes. A ruling from CAS is expected to take up to a year, leaving the sporting outcome in legal limbo as the diplomatic gesture proceeds.
