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Morocco: Court upholds sentences for Senegalese AFCON attendees

Morocco's Rabat Court of Appeal upheld prison sentences for 18 Senegalese football fans convicted over a pitch invasion during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final. The defendants maintain their innocence, claiming they were forced onto the pitch by crowd surges. Three fans have been released after completing their sentences, while lawyers for the remaining 15 plan to request a royal pardon.

By Tertius News AI Desk 4 outlets · 5 articles Version 1 Coverage Apr 14–19, 2026 Published Aug 13

Lead

Morocco's Rabat Court of Appeal has upheld the prison sentences of 18 Senegalese football fans convicted over the pitch invasion that marred the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in January, according to multiple reports. The court's decision, handed down on Monday, rejected a prosecution bid for stiffer penalties, per Africa News and Al Jazeera.

The sentences range from three months to one year in prison, with fines between 1,000 and 5,000 Moroccan dirhams (approximately €90 to €460), as detailed by RFI and AllAfrica. Nine defendants received one-year sentences and fines of 5,000 dirhams, six were sentenced to six months with fines of 2,000 dirhams, and three received three-month sentences with fines of 1,000 dirhams.

Coverage comparison

Reporting on the ruling was broadly consistent across outlets, with all major sources confirming the court upheld the original convictions. Africa News noted the prosecution had sought harsher penalties, while Al Jazeera reported that the initial sentences were upheld. RFI and AllAfrica provided the most detailed breakdown of the individual sentences.

A separate report from RFI, later picked up by other outlets, revealed that three of the Senegalese fans had been released from prison on Saturday after completing their three-month sentences. The lawyer for the remaining 15 fans told RFI he would request a royal pardon.

Key claims

The 18 Senegalese supporters were convicted in February on charges of hooliganism, violence against police, and damage to sports equipment, according to court documents cited by multiple sources. A French citizen was also convicted in the same case, per RFI.

During the appeal hearing, the defendants maintained their innocence, saying they were forced onto the pitch by a surge in the crowd or were trying to escape spitting and objects thrown from the stands, as reported by Africa News, Al Jazeera, and RFI. They denied that the pitch invasion was a protest against a refereeing decision in second-half stoppage time — an incident that prompted the Senegal team to walk off the pitch, delaying the game by 15 minutes, according to RFI.

Defense lawyer Patrick Kabou was quoted by Africa News as saying, "The prosecution could not provide any evidence of these accusations." Al Jazeera reported that defense lawyer Naima El Guellaf asked the court to replay videos of the incident to verify the identities of the defendants, a request the prosecution rejected, arguing that "the entire world saw these terrible images live." The judge has not yet responded to that request, per Al Jazeera.

Aftermath and ongoing disputes

The legal proceedings are separate from the sporting sanctions that followed the match. Senegal won the final 1-0 in extra time, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) later reversed the result, awarding the title to Morocco by a 3-0 forfeit victory, according to several sources. The Senegalese Football Federation has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, as reported by RFI and AllAfrica.

The Moroccan football federation had filed a complaint with CAF immediately after the match, RFI noted. CAF's disciplinary committee imposed fines and bans on Senegal coach Pape Thiaw and several players from both teams but initially did not overturn the result. It was CAF's appeals committee that stripped Senegal of the title on 17 March, per RFI.

Additional developments, reported by a single source and not yet independently verified, include Morocco coach Walid Regragui stepping down, with Mohamed Ouahbi set to lead the team through the 2026 World Cup.

Perspectives

The defendants and their legal team have consistently argued that the charges are based on insufficient evidence and that the fans acted out of fear for their safety, not hooliganism. The prosecution, by contrast, has maintained that the Senegalese were caught in the act on live television.

The Senegalese government has also weighed in. Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko spoke out to decry the CAF decision to award the title to Morocco, according to Al Jazeera.

With three fans now released and a royal pardon request planned for the remaining 15, the legal saga may continue even as the sporting dispute heads to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.