AFCON clash fallout: 18 Senegalese fans in Morocco risk two‑year jail term for alleged hooliganism

By: Oluwaseun Lawal

What was meant to be a fiery AFCON final in Rabat has now drifted into a courtroom drama. Eighteen Senegalese supporters, arrested after Senegal’s 1–0 win over host nation Morocco on January 18, are still locked up and prosecutors are now asking for jail terms of up to two years. They say the fans tried to storm the pitch near the end of the match, threw objects — even a chair — and helped spark scenes of chaos that went out live on TV, causing injuries to security staff and damage to the stadium put at more than 4 million dirhams. The defendants insists they did nothing wrong, but prosecutors argue they “deliberately” set out to disturb the game, a serious charge in a country preparing to co‑host the 2030 World Cup.