As the Senegal national team was stripped of their victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations two months after winning the final against Morocco, the Senegalese players celebrated their triumph with their fans on Saturday afternoon at the Stade de France before their friendly match against Peru.
It was as if nothing had happened… Even though the CAF took away Senegal’s triumph in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the Lions of Teranga celebrated their second star on Saturday afternoon at the Stade de France. For their first match since the controversial final against Morocco on January 18 in Rabat, Senegal had a rendezvous in the city of Seine-Saint-Denis to present the trophy to their fans before facing Peru in a friendly match.
A summary of the final was shown to the Senegalese supporters as they gathered near the basilica in the early afternoon before joining a procession towards the Stade de France and filling the stands of the stadium.
The show began shortly after 3 pm with a first concert followed by the screening of a video showing the CAN final… without any mention of the controversial incident in the tunnel. Then, the Senegalese music legend Youssou Ndour further heightened the atmosphere with an electrifying performance.
The trophy finally appeared on the pitch at 4 pm, brought by captain Kalidou Coulibaly (suspended for the final), with coach Pape Thiaw and the entire team behind him. The Lions of Teranga then paraded around the field and took turns lifting the trophy in a huge celebration.
These festivities took place in a particularly tense context since the CAF decided to award the victory to Morocco. Defeated on the field by Senegal 1-0 after extra time in a dramatic final on January 18 in Rabat, Morocco was awarded the title of African champions ten days ago following a decision by the CAF appeals jury to award them a 3-0 victory.
However, the Senegalese Lions, who are accused of briefly leaving the field in protest during the final, are fighting back: they have taken the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which will make a decision at a later date.
ABr with VJ, reporting from the Stade de France.
