Amid the ongoing drama over the upturned final of the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as CAF awards victory to Morocco, the Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye shares an image posing with the trophy carefully placed in his cabinet.
An image sighted by TVC News on Thursday showed the President seated in his office, with the AFCON trophy carefully displayed on a bookshelf behind him.
The image was posted after the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) had rejected the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board awarding the 2025 AFCON victory to Morocco, confirming it will challenge the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Senegalese President sparked a firestorm of social media speculation by sharing a cryptic image of the national team, a move many are interpreting as a silent protest against the officiating in the tournament’s disputed final.
As the Senegalese Football Federation reportedly prepares a formal grievance to CAF, the President’s mysterious post has transformed a sporting grievance into a matter of national pride, leaving fans across the continent questioning whether the final result is truly set in stone.
CAF, in a statement on Tuesday, overturned Senegal’s victory in the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following an appeal filed by hosts Morocco over misconduct during the final match.
According to the statement, the CAF Appeal Board ruled that Senegal will forfeit the Final Match of the 2025 AFCON held in Morocco, with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).
The statement revealed that the appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is declared admissible in form and the appeal is upheld.
The decision followed a protest by Morocco after chaotic scenes late in the final, when Senegal players briefly left the pitch after a disallowed goal and a penalty awarded to the hosts, an action the appeal board ruled fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations on misconduct and forfeiture.
Reacting to the verdict, the FSF on Wednesday issued a statement describing the ruling as an unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision that discredits African football.
The Senegalese football body argued that the appellant’s right to be heard had not been respected during the initial proceedings.
FSF declared that the association will appeal the ruling before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.
To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the Federation will initiate, as soon as possible, an appeal procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.
