AFCON: Moroccan Court Convicts Senegalese Fans Charged With Hooliganism
Senegal supporters clash during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) final football match between Senegal and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on January 18, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) A Moroccan court on Thursday sentenced 18 Senegalese football fans to prison terms ranging from three to 12 months over hooliganism charges. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569656851-0"); }); READ ALSO: CAF Suspends Thiaw, Hakimi, Fines Senegal, Morocco Over AFCON Final Chaos The group had been in pre-trial detention since January 18, the day of the heated AFCON final in which Morocco lost to Senegal 1-0 on home turf, after some Senegalese supporters attempted a pitch invasion while others threw objects onto the field. Seeking the maximum penalty for some, the prosecution had told the court that the defendants had “deliberately sought to disrupt the proper conduct of the match”. It said the group “committed acts of violence broadcast live on television,” while the defendants have denied any wrongdoing. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569913499-0"); }); The Senegalese fans have been in pre-trial detention since January 18, the day of the heated AFCON final in which Morocco lost to Senegal 1-0 on home turf. Material damage to the stadium was estimated at more than four million Moroccan dirhams ($430,000), the prosecution said. It also said evidence against the defendants was based on footage from surveillance cameras at the stadium, as well as medical reports documenting injuries among security forces and stadium stewards. But their lawyer, Naima El Guellaf, told the court the footage did not “contain irrefutable proof showing that any one of them struck or assaulted anyone”. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587799169-0"); }); In late January, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) imposed a series of sanctions, including fines of several hundred thousand dollars, on both Senegalese and Moroccan federations for unsporting behaviour and breaches of fair play. Guellaf said the defendants should not be “tried twice, since CAF has already sanctioned the Senegalese federation for the supporters’ behaviour”. But Mustapha Simou, the lawyer for the civil party representing members of the security forces, said CAF’s sanctions did “not exempt the accused from criminal responsibility. On the contrary, they confirm their guilt”. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587060870-0"); }); Join Our Whatsapp Channel To join: Simply click on the link below & turn on notifications to get the latest updates Subscribe to Our Newsletter In This Article: AFCON CAF fans Morocco Senegal More Stories AFCON: Senegalese Fans Held In Morocco Face Up To Two Years In Prison 2027 AFCON Will Remain In East Africa, Says CAF Nigerian Footballers Push For Greater Heights /* * * CONFIGURATION VARIABLES: EDIT BEFORE PASTING INTO YOUR WEBPAGE * * / var disqus_shortname = 'channelstelevision'; // Required - Replace example with your forum shortname / * * DON'T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE * * */ (function() { var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type = 'text/javascript'; dsq.async = true; dsq.src = '//' + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(dsq); })(); Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.