The president of the Senegal Football Association, Abdoulaye Fall, has called for a measured approach to facilitate a resolution to the case of 18 Senegalese fans detained in Morocco, reports goal.com.

The Moroccan courts have handed down prison sentences ranging from three months to a full year to the 18 supporters for misconduct and rioting during the Africa Cup of Nations final.

“We must take a step back to find solutions to this situation,” Fall said in an interview with the Senegalese news agency.

He added, “It is a painful situation that affects everyone. I believe that sporting disputes should be resolved within sporting bodies.”

Falle emphasised, “I am against taking sporting disputes to court; this sets a dangerous precedent.”

The Teranga Lions supporters were arrested during the AFCON final in the Moroccan capital, which was controversially suspended as the Senegal players left the pitch in protest against the late award of a penalty to the host nation.

Fans, in response, attempted to enter the field of play during the match on January 19, leading to the arrest of 18 people who were later charged with hooliganism and violence against security officials.

Prison sentences were handed out to them in February, ranging from three months to one year, along with fines of up to 5,000 dirhams ($545).

Meanwhile, more than two months after the conclusion of the most controversial final in the history of African football, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations crisis is back in the spotlight, this time via the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS); as Senegal officially prepares to appeal the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) which awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory by default.

The decision angered the Senegalese Football Federation and opened the door to an unprecedented legal crisis.

Senegal lodged an initial appeal with the CAF Appeals Committee, demanding that the result of the match be annulled and the circumstances of the withdrawal be reconsidered, arguing that security conditions were not conducive to the completion of the match.

However, after weeks of deliberations, the committee upheld the decision to award the victory to Morocco, confirming that the withdrawal was decided by the Senegalese team itself, without issuing any guidance regarding the trophy, medals or financial rewards, as it considered these matters to be outside its remit.

Despite the decision, CAF has not yet issued an official statement declaring Morocco the champions of the tournament, leaving uncertainty as to who the actual winner of the title is.

After three weeks of waiting, the Senegalese Football Federation received the decision from the Appeals Committee, which legally allows it to initiate appeal proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

According to reports by the French network ‘RMC’, Senegal is preparing to submit its full case in the coming days, in an attempt to overturn CAF’s decision or at least have the result of the final reviewed.

So far, the CAS has not announced a specific timetable for hearing the case, but legal sources have confirmed that the expected decision will be final and non-appealable.

The Court’s Director General, Mathieu Reeb, said in an official statement: “We are aware that the teams and fans wish to know the final decision as soon as possible, and we will ensure that the arbitration proceedings are conducted promptly, whilst respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing.”

With this development, the crisis surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final enters its decisive phase.

Whilst Morocco clings to CAF’s decision awarding them the victory, Senegal is banking on convincing CAS that its withdrawal was the result of “force majeure” circumstances that cannot be ignored.