Senegal turned their friendly against Peru at the Stade de France on Saturday into a show of defiance, parading the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy they have been ordered to return in front of a packed crowd of 70,000, before defeating Peru 2-0 in their first match since the controversial final.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on March 17 reversed Senegal’s 1-0 final victory over Morocco in Rabat on January 18 and awarded a 3-0 victory to the hosts. Senegal have refused to accept the ruling and have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.
Captain Kalidou Coulibaly and his teammates came onto the pitch with the AFCON trophy for a lap of honour after a pre-match concert by Senegalese superstar Youssou Ndour. Coulibaly and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy then went up to the stadium’s presidential box to place the trophy in front of Abdoulaye Fall, the president of the Senegalese Football Federation.
On Friday, the federation’s Instagram page posted a video with forward Iliman Ndiaye modelling a shirt with two stars above the badge, marking the AFCON wins of 2021 and 2025, with the caption simply two star emojis. Fall described the CAF ruling as “the most grossly unfair administrative robbery” in the history of soccer.
After the ceremony, Pape Thiaw’s side defeated Peru 2-0. Nicolas Jackson and Ismaila Sarr were on the scoresheet, with Jackson netting before halftime and Sarr adding a second on 54 minutes.
Thousands of Senegalese supporters were already in the Stade de France before the players showed off the trophy. Earlier, nearly 200 fans gathered in front of the nearby Basilica of Saint-Denis before making their way to the stadium to the sound of traditional drums and percussion.
Saint-Denis mayor Bally Bagayoko joined the procession and addressed the crowd. “You are the pride of the residents of working-class neighbourhoods. We have often been discriminated against, often looked down upon. Today, Africa is united,” he said.
Moroccan lawyer Mourad Elajouti, president of the Club of Lawyers in Morocco, had sent formal notices on Friday to the organisers, including Stade de France operators, warning against any public presentation of the trophy. He later confirmed his organisation had mandated a judicial commissioner to attend and document the ceremony. The parade proceeded regardless.
The friendly was Senegal’s first match since the AFCON final. They are preparing for the World Cup, where they have been drawn in a group with France, Norway and either Bolivia or Iraq.
As NewsGhana has previously reported, Senegal’s CAS appeal has been formally registered, though no verdict timeline has been set.
