Following an unjust decision by the CAF Appeal Board, made two months after Senegal won the final on the pitch, and the prolonged detention of 18 Senegalese supporters in Morocco, public outrage has moved beyond the sporting arena. Faced with what is perceived as a double injustice—sporting and humanitarian—a peaceful, economic, and civic response is imperative.
African football has just crossed a worrying threshold. Two months after Senegal won the final (1-0), the CAF Appeal Board made a decision as belated as it is contested: stripping Senegal of the trophy and awarding it to Morocco.
Based on legal arguments concerning a match interruption, this decision raises serious questions: how can a result validated by the referee after play resumed and the final whistle was blown be overturned?
In sport, one rule is paramount: the result on the pitch is final. By undermining this, the very credibility of African competitions is at stake. If results can be revised after the fact, no victory is ever truly secure.
Adding to this controversy is an even graver reality: the prolonged detention of 18 Senegalese supporters in Morocco. Arrested around the time of the match, they remain deprived of their liberty weeks after the incident. This situation appears disproportionate and difficult to reconcile with the values of African brotherhood that football is supposed to embody.
We cannot celebrate the continent's unity in the stadiums while allowing such a situation to persist. This contradiction undermines the message promoted by African sporting institutions.
Senegal and Morocco share deep historical, cultural, and spiritual ties. This fraternity is real and must be preserved. But it requires mutual respect. When a sense of injustice takes hold, it is legitimate to react—calmly, but firmly.
To react is not to sever ties. It is to remind everyone that any lasting cooperation is built on fairness and mutual consideration.
In the face of this situation, a peaceful and strategic civic mobilization is necessary.
First, it involves supporting our national capabilities: for travel to Morocco (Fez, Rabat, Casablanca), choosing Air Senegal sends a powerful signal.
In the banking sector, customers can withdraw their funds from Moroccan banks operating in Senegal—without closing their accounts—to express an expectation of respect.
On the consumption front, a shift is possible: suspend the purchase of imported Moroccan products, particularly oranges, clementines, and other fruits and vegetables, and favor local or regional produce.
This approach, far from any hostility, aims to defend a simple demand: respect for the truth of the game, the dignity of citizens, and the credibility of African institutions.
Prof. Amath Ndiaye — FASEG-UCAD
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