Senegal paraded the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in Paris on Saturday, defying CAF’s controversial decision to award it to Morocco.
Thousands of fans at Stade de France cheered as captain Kalidou Koulibaly led the team onto the pitch with the trophy.
The Senegalese Football Association had promised to display the trophy to fans, recognising the city’s large, passionate Senegalese community in France.
Earlier this week, FA president Abdoulaye Fall denounced the ruling as “the most grossly unfair administrative robbery” in soccer history.
Fall vowed to defend Senegalese players’ honor before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, where the appeal has been registered.
CAF stripped Senegal of its January victory after players protested a Moroccan penalty, ruling the team forfeited and awarding Morocco a 3-0 win.
Senegal’s legal team insisted their country remains Africa’s champion, while preparing an appeal they hope CAS can expedite within two months.
The Senegalese government has demanded an international probe into “suspected corruption” within CAF, calling for transparency and accountability in African football.
CAS appeals can often take months, with hearings and verdicts potentially delayed, leaving Senegal’s championship status suspended in uncertainty.
Fans waved flags and chanted passionately, celebrating a victory that feels theirs, even as the official title hangs in legal limbo.
Senegal’s spirited display in Paris symbolised national pride, determination, and resistance, turning a stadium into a theatre of defiance and hope.