A Moroccan appeals court has confirmed prison sentences for 18 Senegalese football supporters detained since the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, deepening a diplomatic and sporting controversy between the two countries. The Rabat Court of Appeal, ruling on Monday 13 April, upheld the original verdicts despite calls from prosecutors for harsher penalties.

Nine of the defendants will serve one year in prison, six will serve six months, and the remaining three — who have already spent three months in detention — are expected to return to Senegal within days. All 18 face fines ranging from approximately 90 to 460 euros. The fans were charged with hooliganism, violence against police, and damage to sports equipment following a pitch invasion during the AFCON final, held in January 2026. The defendants rejected the charges, arguing they had entered the pitch to escape crowd surges and projectiles being thrown in the stands. Their lawyer, Patrick Kabou, maintained that the prosecution failed to present any material evidence to support its case.

The verdicts have provoked an outcry in Senegal. The Senegalese Football Federation condemned the outcome as