The Senegalese Football Federation has condemned a Moroccan court ruling sentencing 18 Senegalese supporters to prison terms following disturbances at last month’s Africa Cup of Nations final.
The fans, detained on January 18 after the final in Morocco, were handed sentences on Thursday ranging from three to 12 months in prison, alongside fines.
According to Al Jazeera English, Bacary Cisse, head of the federation’s communications committee, described the verdict as excessively harsh.
“We express our profound dismay and distress following the verdict,” Cisse said, adding that the decision had sparked widespread outrage.
The January 18 final saw Senegal defeat Morocco 1-0 on home soil. Tensions flared late in the match, with some supporters attempting to invade the pitch and objects reportedly thrown onto the field. Senegal’s players also briefly halted play in protest over a late penalty awarded to Morocco.
Prosecuted in Rabat on charges including hooliganism, violence against law enforcement, damage to sports equipment and throwing projectiles, nine supporters received one-year sentences and 5,000 dirhams fines, six were jailed for six months with 2,000 dirhams fines, while three were handed three-month terms and fined 1,000 dirhams.
Cisse questioned the proportionality of the punishment, arguing that similar incidents elsewhere rarely attract such sanctions. Defence lawyer Patrick Kabou also described the ruling as “incomprehensible.”
