Three months after the chaotic 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, the Moroccan legal system has issued its verdict.
A court in the country, the Rabat Court of Appeal, has upheld the prison sentences of 18 Senegalese football fans charged over a pitch invasion during the event.
The prosecution had urged harsher penalties, but the judges decided to uphold the initial sentences handed down.
Detained since the AFCON final, the defendants faced charges of hooliganism, violence against the police and damage to sports equipment — charges they rejected during their hearing.
They argued they descended onto the pitch in order to escape from crowd movements and projectiles being lauched in the stands.
According to the defence, the prosecution did not provide any material evidence to support their accusations.
Mr Patrick Kabou, who represented the defence, said, ‘”The prosecution could not provide any evidence of these accusations.”
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