Senegal add a second star to their jersey and parade AFCON trophy despite of the CAF verdict which stripped them off their title

Senegal have paraded their trophy in France ahead of their friendly against Peru. (Image credits – Wikipedia, licence details)

Senegal have added a second star to their official emblem on the jersey and have paraded their Africa Cup of Nations trophy ahead of their friendly game against Peru on Saturday. The head of the Senegalese football association took this decision after the CAF decided to wrongfully strip the team of their deserved title. The Teranga Lions had lifted their second AFCON title when they had beaten the hosts 1-0 after extra time in a controversial final.

Senegal players had walked off the pitch for around fifteen minutes when Morocco had been awarded a penalty in injury time, for which they were heavily penalised. However, last week the Confederation of African Football overturned the result and awarded the hosts a 3-0 victory, which handed them their first AFCON title after almost two months. Senegal appealed against this verdict at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, who have confirmed receipt of their appeal and have promised to provide a verdict as soon as possible.

"Faced with what amounts to the most blatant and unprecedented administrative robbery in the history of our sport, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) refuses to accept this as inevitable," said Senegal Football Association President Abdoulaye Fall. (sic)

He added, "Senegal will not bend the knee and will not compromise its values. Our fight now transcends the football pitch.” (sic)

The social media page of Senegal's national football team posted a routine for events before Saturday’s friendly clash at the Stade de France that also included the trophy parade. The hosts, Morocco, had appealed to the CAF following the final, stating that the Senegal players leaving the pitch had affected the players' morale, and as per the rules, it's forfeiture of the game.

Article 82 of the AFCON rulebook states that if a team "leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee", they are eliminated. The Senegalese government protested against CAF’s verdict and urged the higher authorities to investigate suspected corruption inside the board. 

Renowned lawyer Juan Perez said, "A match that was over, whose result had been decided by the referee, now being re-refereed administratively – that's unprecedented. You haven't seen anything like it. It could change the world of football.” (sic)

The governing body of African football has updated its review of the 2026 AFCON on their website, which is showing Morocco as the winner now, but the website has been taken down after heavy criticism on social media. Senegal planning to parade their trophy in France is a sign of massive protest, and it'll lead to more chaos even after almost three months since the conclusion of the tournament.

Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi has reportedly rejected CAF’s decision to crown them as champions, stating that they lost on the pitch where it mattered and they would rather honour sportsmanship over a victory claimed on papers. On X, he posted the cryptic line, "Energy speaks, I don't", which was interpreted as a direct refusal of the trophy.