Talk About ‘Title Defence’! Senegal Take AFCON Trophy To Military Base After CAF Ruling

Last Updated:March 21, 2026, 3:42 PM IST

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw took the trophy to the military base in Dakar, in a message to CAF, who seek to take the crown away from the Teranga Lions.

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw takes he AFCON trophy to the military base in Dakar.

Senegal, the true champions of Africa, have taken title defence a bit too seriously this time around after the CAF stripped the Teranga Lions off the crown in a landmark ruling citing their temporary exit from the pitch during the final of the continental showpiece in Rabat against Morocco as a forfeit.

Following the governing body’s ruling, the head coach of Senegal, Pape Thiaw took the trophy to the military base in Dakar, in what could be viewed as a message to the authorities at CAF, who seek to take the crown away from the Teranga Lions.

Senegal had walked off the field in protest before the match ended, then later returned to complete the game, which they ultimately won 1-0.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that its appeals committee had decided Senegal forfeited the match due to their early walkout, converting their 1-0 victory into a 3-0 defeat.

Article 28 of the tournament regulations state that, “if, for any reason whatsoever, a team withdraws from the competition or does not report for a match, or refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorization of the referee, it shall be considered loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition.”

In the final held in Rabat in January, Senegal’s players, led by coach Thiaw, left the pitch for 15 minutes during stoppage time in protest at a late penalty awarded to Morocco, an incident that also prompted fans to attempt to invade the field.

When play resumed, Morocco forward Brahim Diaz took the penalty and attempted a Panenka, but goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved it in a dramatic twist before Senegal went on to score the only goal in extra time as Papa Gueye belted the ball into the top corner of the net.

Read More