Senegal Guard AFCON Trophy: Did ‘Teranga Lions’ Bring In Literal Lions? | WATCH

Last Updated:March 23, 2026, 5:13 PM IST

Senegal’s AFCON controversy deepens as reports of military protection and viral “lion’s den” footage underline their refusal to relinquish the disputed trophy.

(Credit: X)

Senegal has gone to quite some lengths to secure their rightful AFCON trophy from ever being taken away.

But one couldn’t be sure enough. So, now the ‘Teranga Lions’ have brought in some reinforcements — ones that truly live up to their name.

AFCON Final Chaos Sparks Fallout

Nearly two months after lifting the AFCON title, Senegal now find themselves at the centre of one of African football’s most bizarre and heated controversies.

The drama dates back to the final in Rabat.

Senegal had edged Morocco 1-0 in a tense contest that saw late chaos erupt. A VAR-awarded penalty for Morocco triggered furious protests, with head coach Pape Thiaw instructing his players to walk off the pitch.

After nearly 20 minutes, Sadio Mane helped bring the team back out to resume play.

Morocco’s Brahim Diaz missed the resulting penalty, and Senegal held firm, eventually sealing a 1-0 win thanks to an extra-time strike from Pape Gueye.

But weeks later, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the result, ruling Senegal had forfeited the match due to their walkoff — awarding Morocco a 3-0 win and the title.

From Military Base to ‘Lion’s Den’?

Since then, the story has taken some truly surreal turns.

Reports initially claimed Senegal had moved the trophy to a military base under armed guard, a symbolic show of defiance against CAF’s ruling.

Then came a viral video.

In the clip, Thiaw is seen carrying the AFCON trophy into what appears to be a literal lion’s enclosure, an act widely interpreted as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the team’s “Lions” identity and their refusal to surrender the silverware.

However, questions remain over the video’s authenticity. Some reports suggest the footage may be older, possibly filmed during a visit to Senegalese soldiers shortly after their victory.

Senegal Take Fight to CAS

What’s clear, though, is that Senegal are digging in for a legal battle.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has condemned CAF’s decision and urged the federation to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Augustin Senghor didn’t mince words either.

“In a situation like this, we have to fight against injustice. Football is fair play… what happened with CAF was unacceptable,” he said.

Read More