April 15 – Eighteen Senegalese supporters have lost their appeal against prison sentences handed down after crowd trouble during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat.
The Rabat Court of Appeal upheld custodial terms ranging from three months to one year for the group, who were convicted of hooliganism in February following clashes in the stands during the final in the Moroccan capital on January 18.
That final had its own cause for controversy, with the Senegal win having been retrospectively overturned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and awarded to Morocco on the basis that Senegal temporarily abandoned the pitch in protest of the referee’s decision to award hosts Morocco with a last minute penalty.
Once play resumed, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz fluffed that chance and took the game to extra time, where Senegal ultimately were victorious – or so they thought.
Speaking after the hearing, which had been postponed from its original March date, defence lawyer Patrick Kabou for the Senegales fans said the ruling came after a lengthy session that exposed what he described as gaps in the prosecution’s case.
“We have just heard the verdict. The Court upheld the lower court’s decision. We had submitted arguments regarding the validity of the proceedings, after transcribing part of the CAF conference and providing the court with material evidence, including photos and videos,” he said.
Kabou was particularly critical of the handling of evidence, claiming that key material had not been presented in court. “We asked the presiding judge to have this evidence presented. We were told that it had not yet been added to the case file, which is surprising,” he said.
The defence had also sought to involve CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation in proceedings, arguing that, as organisers, they should be called to account.
“The evidence must be presented in court. However, no evidence has been presented to establish the guilt of the Senegalese supporters. We believe this is disrespectful to the court,” Kabou added.
He confirmed that two complaints filed by the supporters for alleged assault following their arrests were not included in the case file.
“Our compatriots must be judged based on material evidence,” he said, suggesting the case reflected “legal action being taken after a defeat in the final.”
According to the defence, some of those convicted could be released in the coming days, with no immediate move to escalate the case to the Court of Cassation in the near future.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]