Football Today: Senegal to parade Afcon trophy as Football Federation vows ‘crusade’ against decision to hand Morocco title
football today Senegal’s Football Federation says it will parade the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in Paris on Saturday and launch a legal crusade after the CAF Appeal Board overturned the on-field result and recorded a 3–0 win for Morocco. FSF president Abdoulaye Fall held a confrontational media conference in Paris, announced a seasoned legal team and confirmed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which confirmed receipt on Tuesday and promised to rule “as swiftly as possible. ” The move follows the CAF Appeal Board’s 17 March (ET) decision that Senegal forfeited the final, a ruling the FSF has called “the most blatant and unprecedented administrative robbery in the history of our sport. “
Football Today: Trophy parade and legal crusade
The FSF has posted a timetable on social channels for events around Saturday’s friendly at the Stade de France that includes a planned trophy parade before the match against Peru. Abdoulaye Fall said the federation “refuses to accept this as inevitable” and announced the appointment of a legal team to pursue what he described as a moral and legal crusade. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed receipt of Senegal’s appeal and said it will rule “as swiftly as possible, ” leaving the final arbiter of the 2025 AFCON title to CAS.
What the CAF Appeal Board ruled
In football today developments the CAF Appeal Board applied Article 84 of the AFCON regulations and declared that the Senegal national team forfeited the final, recording the match as a 3–0 victory for the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). The Appeal Board set aside the CAF Disciplinary Board decision, found that Senegal’s conduct fell within Articles 82 and 84, and upheld the FRMF protest. The statement also addressed individual and ancillary matters: the appeal regarding player Ismaël Saibari was partially upheld with an amended sanction of a two-match suspension (one match suspended) and the fine of USD 100, 000 set aside; the ball boys incident ruling was partially upheld and the fine on the FRMF was reduced to USD 50, 000; the appeal on interference around the OFR/VAR review area was dismissed.
Immediate reactions and what’s next
At the Paris conference, Abdoulaye Fall, president of the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, said: “Faced with what amounts to the most blatant and unprecedented administrative robbery in the history of our sport, the Senegalese Football Federation refuses to accept this as inevitable. ” Fall added, “Senegal will not bend the knee and will not compromise its values. Our fight now transcends the football pitch. ” Patrice Motsepe, president of CAF, said: “It is important that the decisions of our Caf disciplinary board and the Caf appeals board are viewed with respect and integrity. “
Quick background: the Lions of Teranga had been declared winners after beating Morocco 1-0 after extra time on 18 January (ET), a match that ended in chaotic scenes when Senegal players left the pitch after a stoppage-time penalty was awarded. The FRMF had lodged a complaint alleging the departure “greatly affected the normal course of the match and the players’ morale, ” and CAF’s appeal board issued its 17 March (ET) ruling upholding that protest.
What comes next is a two-track sequence: Senegal will stage the trophy parade at the Stade de France on Saturday (ET) while the FSF pursues its appeal at CAS. The final decision on entitlement to the 2025 AFCON title will rest with CAS, and stakeholders say they expect that body to deliver a swift ruling. football today remains dominated by legal moves and on-field symbolism as both the parade and the appeal proceed.
