Senegal paraded the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy at the Stade de France on Saturday, despite being ordered to return the title following a controversial ruling by the Confederation of African Football.
CAF ruled on 17 March that Senegal’s 1–0 victory over Morocco in the final on 18 January in Rabat should be overturned, instead awarding Morocco a 3–0 win. The decision came after Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in protest during stoppage time.
Ahead of their friendly against Peru, Senegal captain Kalidou Coulibaly led his teammates on a lap of honour with the AFCON trophy following a pre-match concert by Senegalese music icon Youssou Ndour.
Coulibaly and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy later placed the trophy in the presidential box in front of Senegalese Football Federation president Abdoulaye Fall.
The AFCON final had descended into chaos when Senegal players left the field in protest after Morocco were awarded a late penalty. Captain Sadio Mane persuaded his teammates to return, and after Brahim Diaz missed the spot-kick, Pape Gueye scored in extra time to secure what was initially a 1–0 victory.
CAF later ruled that Senegal had breached regulations by leaving the pitch without the referee’s permission.
The Senegalese Football Federation has since appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and remains hopeful of retaining the title.
A crowd of around 70,000 attended the match in Paris, with thousands of Senegalese supporters gathering earlier near the Basilica of Saint-Denis before marching to the stadium with drums and chants. The procession was briefly joined by Saint-Denis mayor Bally Bagayoko, who praised the unity shown by the supporters.
The friendly against Peru marked Senegal’s first outing since the AFCON final, as they continue preparations for the upcoming World Cup, where they will face France, Norway and either Bolivia or Iraq in the group stage.
