Senegal displayed the African Cup of Nations trophy this Saturday (28), before a friendly against Peru in Paris, a week after the African Football Confederation (CAF) stripped the team of the title for the last edition of the African tournament, in favor of Morocco.
An AFP journalist watched as captain Kalidou Coulibaly, holding the cup in his arms, walked onto the pitch at the Stade de France, followed by all his teammates, during a musical performance by Senegalese artist Youssou Ndour.
The Senegalese team took an Olympic lap around the pitch, at which point the trophy was passed from hand to hand.
Then, Coulibaly and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy went up to the stadium’s presidential box and deposited the cup in front of Abdoulaye Fall, president of the Senegalese Football Federation.
From 2pm local time (10am Brasília), thousands of Senegalese fans, along with a small contingent of Peruvian fans, began arriving at the Stade de France, north of Paris, amid a vibrant atmosphere. The African team beat the Peruvian team 2-0, with goals from Ismaïla Sarr and Nicolas Jackson.
This Saturday’s match marked the Teranga Lions’ first appearance since the African Cup of Nations final, held on January 18 in Rabat, in which they beat host nation Morocco 1-0.
During that game, several Senegalese players briefly left the field in protest against a penalty awarded in favor of the Moroccan team.
Last week, the CAF Appeals Committee withdrew Senegal’s victory. The decision was justified based on articles 82 and 84 of the CAN Regulations, which provide that, if a team “refuses to play or leaves the field before the regulatory end of the match, it will be considered defeated by WO and definitively eliminated from the competition”.
Consequently, on Wednesday, the Senegalese Football Federation appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) — the highest judicial instance in sport — and, for now, has not given up on celebrating the title it considers its own.
