On June 8, a group of Senegalese football fans held in Morocco after the chaotic 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final returned home after being pardoned by King Mohammed VI “on humanitarian grounds” ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday.
King Mohammed VI granted the pardon “out of the longstanding brotherly ties” between the two nations and in observance of Eid al-Adha (to be celebrated in Morocco on June 10), according to a statement from the Moroccan royal court on June 7.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye personally welcomed the fans at the international airport in Dakar. “We are delighted to have them back on Senegalese soil,” he told reporters. Faye thanked Moroccan authorities for the pardon and hailed the national team as “two-time African champions,” despite the January final being contested at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.
The AFCON 2025 final took place on January 18 in Rabat, Morocco. The tense match was 0-0 when Senegal had a goal disallowed, and Morocco was awarded a penalty in second-half stoppage time. This sparked Senegalese fans to try to storm the pitch and throw objects. The Senegal team walked off in protest over the penalty decision, halting the match for nearly 20 minutes. When play resumed, Morocco missed the penalty but scored in the 94th minute to win.
In February, a Moroccan court sentenced 18 Senegalese fans to 3 months to 1 year in prison for hooliganism. Three were released in mid-April after completing their 3-month sentences. The king’s pardon applied to the remaining 15 fans serving 6-month to 1-year terms.
The incident strained relations between Senegal and Morocco, traditionally close in areas like tourism, energy, and religious ties. The Senegalese community is the largest foreign community in Morocco.
According to Morocco’s public prosecutor, charges against the 18 fans were based on footage from cameras at the Moulay Abdellah stadium and medical certificates for injured law enforcement and stadium staff. Property damage from the riot was estimated at over 370,000 euros (about $430,000).
In late January, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) imposed disciplinary measures on both national federations for unsportsmanlike conduct and violations of fairness principles. On March 17, CAF awarded the title to Morocco by administrative decision, but Senegal appealed to CAS.
