AFCON 2025 title "cannot be taken away" from Senegal, says FSF

DAKAR, Senegal 

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said Thursday that the Africa Cup title cannot be taken away from Senegal, following a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip the country of its title earlier this week.

CAF defended its decision Wednesday, which hinged on a moment during the chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final when Senegalese players walked off the field.

Though the players returned, CAF ruled this week that they had violated the rules of the tournament and thus forfeited the game.

The title was given to Morocco instead, and the decision has been met with widespread controversy.

The FSF called the decision “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable”.

"We know very well that from a legal standpoint, from a legal standpoint, Senegal cannot lose this match by forfeit, and we cannot take this title away from Senegal,” said Abdoulaye Fall, the federation’s president.

Fall also addressed the Senegalese soccer fans that remain in detention in Morocco following the match, where they were arrested and later charged with damaging sporting facilities and committing violence during a sporting event after they tried to storm the field.

He said that though those fans are not officially under the soccer federation’s responsibility, the federation was providing them legal support.

“We are going to fight for them to be released and for them to come back to us,” he said.

Referring to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by its French acronym, TAS, the secretary general of the Senegalese National Olympic and Sports Committee Omar Diagne said his organization was offering legal support to the football federation.

“The Olympic Committee is at your disposal so that some of our lawyers who know a lot about sports law can join the pool of lawyers that you have already established, so that today we can fight the battle at TAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) so that victory can be returned to Senegal. And of that, we are sure and we are certain. God willing, TAS will rule in our favor,” he said.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 20/03/2026

 

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 19/03/2026

 

Italy warns Russian tanker could explode in Mediterranean at any time

ROME, Italy 

A sanctioned Russian tanker loaded with liquid natural gas is drifting out of control in the Mediterranean with no crew on board and a gaping hole in one side, prompting warnings of a "serious risk of a major ecological disaster".

An official in Italy, one of nine EU countries to write a joint letter to the European Commission urging action, has called the Arctic Metagaz an "environmental bomb" waiting to go off.

The tanker, part of a shadow fleet transporting sanctioned Russian oil and gas, was badly damaged in a suspected sea drone attack near Maltese waters earlier this month.

Ukraine has not commented on reports that it was responsible for crippling it.

The Arctic Metagaz is now floating south away from Italian waters and the island of Lampedusa towards Libya, with Italian and Maltese officials continuing to monitor its movement.

Speaking on Italy's Radio 24, the secretary of Italy's Council of Ministers, Alfredo Mantovano, said the risks from the tanker were "enormous" and warned that it could "explode at any moment".

It is said to be carrying "significant" quantities of liquid natural gas, or LNG. An official in Rome told reporters it also had 450 tonnes of fuel oil and 250 tonnes of diesel on board.

On Tuesday afternoon the tanker was about 45 nautical miles (83km) from Italian territorial waters and 25 miles from the search-and-rescue zone ascribed to Libya.

The Arctic Metagaz set out from the Russian port of Murmansk in February.

In early March, when it went up in flames, Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraine for a "terrorist attack".

Senegalese Football Federation bashes AFCON title stripping

DAKAR, Senegal 

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has criticized the “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision” to strip its team of the Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to host nation Morocco two months after they contested the final.

The Confederation of African Football’s appeals board on Tuesday ruled Senegal “forfeited the final” by walking off the field and turned its 1-0 win in extra time into a 3-0 default win for Morocco.

The FSF said the decision “discredits African football,” and that it will appeal “as soon as possible” to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, a process that would typically take a year to deliver a verdict.

“The FSF reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice and will keep the public informed of developments in this matter,” the federation said in a statement.

The CAF cited article 82 of tournament regulations for its marquee event to justify the verdict enforced on appeal, though not at the first hearing.

It states “if, for any reason whatsoever, a team withdraws from the competition or does not report for a match, or refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorization of the referee, it shall be considered loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition.”

In the meantime, Senegal’s government demands “independent international investigation into suspected corruption within CAF’s governing bodies.”

It calls CAF’s decision to award AFCON title to Morocco “grossly illegal and profoundly unjust,” promising to challenge it in global courts.

CAF Appeals board declares Morocco AFCON 2025 Champions

CAIRO, Egypt 

Morocco was stunningly awarded the Africa Cup of Nations title on Tuesday by appeals judges who overturned Senegal’s victory in a chaotic final in January.

The Confederation of African Football said its appeals board ruled that Senegal is “declared to have forfeited the final” and its 1-0 win in extra time becomes a 3-0 default win for host nation Morocco.

In the January 18 final in Rabat, Senegal players led by coach Pape Thiaw left the field in protest during stoppage time for 15 minutes — and fans tried to storm the field — when Morocco was awarded a penalty that was set to decide the match.

When play resumed, Morocco forward Brahim Diaz’s spot kick — a controversial slow chip shot known as a “Panenka” — was saved by goalkeeper Édouard Mendy and Senegal scored the only goal in extra time.

Tension in the stadium was already raised by Senegal being denied a goal minutes before the penalty was given to Morocco.

In the second minute of stoppage time, Senegal’s apparent go-ahead goal was ruled out for a foul by Abdoulaye Seck, but TV replays showed little contact on Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi.

At an initial disciplinary hearing, CAF imposed fines of than $1 million in fines and bans for Senegal and Morocco players and officials but left the result untouched.

The case could go to a further appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

CAF cited article 82 of tournament regulations for its marquee event to justify the verdict enforced on appeal, though not at the first hearing.

It states “if, for any reason whatsoever, a team withdraws from the competition or does not report for a match, or refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorization of the referee, it shall be considered loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition.”

Arsenal comfortably beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0

LONDON, England 

Goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice helped Arsenal comfortably beat Bayer Leverkusen as the Gunners secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Arsenal will play Sporting in the last eight after the Portuguese side staged a dramatic comeback from 3-0 down before kick-off to put five past Bodo/Glimt.

The Gunners came into this tie level on aggregate with the Germans, after Kai Havertz's late penalty last week secured a 1-1 draw, and they did not let Leverkusen settle in the first half.

Arsenal twice went close through Gabriel from trademark corners with Leverkusen goalkeeper Janis Blaswich making excellent saves to keep the game scoreless.

But there was nothing Blaswich could do about the opener, when Eze controlled the ball on the edge of the area and swivelled before powering the ball high into the net for his first goal in the Champions League.

Arsenal picked up from where they left off in the second half and Rice wrapped up the tie when he ran onto a Leverkusen clearance and calmly placed the ball into the bottom corner.

With the game won, Mikel Arteta was able to give some of his key players a rest before the Gunners take on Manchester City in the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley on Sunday.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 18/03/2026