The president of the Senegalese Football Federation Abdoulaye Fall speaks during a press conference in Dakar on March 19, 2026. SEYLLOU / AFP
The Senegalese Football Federation announced on Thursday, March 19, that it has instructed its lawyers to lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after the national team was stripped of its Africa Cup of Nations title. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed Senegal's win Tuesday, awarding the title to Morocco two months after the final.
"Senegal will remain standing and will legitimately defend this victory on the field, which we acquired on the field with the talent of our players," the federation's president, Abdoulaye Fall, told a press conference.
"We have given our lawyers a mandate to pursue this procedure at the level of the Court of Arbitration for Sport," he added. The continent's showpiece football final, in Rabat on January 18, descended into chaos when several Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest after the hosts were awarded a penalty late in second-half stoppage time.
Senegal's players were coaxed back onto the pitch by captain Sadio Mane, but Morocco missed the penalty. Pape Gueye went on to score the goal in extra time that gave Senegal a 1-0 victory. CAF said that having studied an appeal by Morocco, "the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match," and the result was "officially recorded as 3-0" in favor of Morocco. Asked what would happen to the trophy in the meantime, Fall told reporters the team would "comply with the statutory and regulatory provisions of CAF."
