Senegal says Morocco ties ‘stronger than emotion’ after chaotic AFCON final

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said on Monday in Rabat that ties with Morocco were “stronger than emotion”, days after chaotic scenes erupted when the two nations faced each other in the Africa Cup of Nations final.

The January 18 match — which saw Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 on home turf — descended into turmoil after the Senegalese contingent protested a last-minute decision to award Morocco a penalty.

Some Senegalese supporters attempted to storm the pitch as others threw objects onto the field, while their team halted the game for nearly 20 minutes by stepping out of play, before resuming and winning the match.

Speaking in Rabat during a joint Senegal–Morocco commission meeting, Sonko said his visit was not meant to calm tempers but to “confirm” the ties between the two nations.

Morocco and Senegal cooperate in sectors including tourism, energy, infrastructure and transport, in addition to sharing strong religious ties.

“The excesses we witnessed should be understood as emotional spillovers driven by passion and not as political or cultural factors,” Sonko said during the meeting co-chaired with Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

Akhannouch echoed his message, stressing that relations between Rabat and Dakar rest on “a solid foundation”.

Last week, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI also voiced confidence in “African brotherhood” following the final’s “unfortunate incidents”.

Rival fans from both countries have continued to trade barbs on social media.

Eighteen Senegalese supporters remain in pre‑trial detention in Morocco, where they face charges of hooliganism at the match. Their trial was postponed to next Thursday.

As of 2024, 60 percent of migrants living in Morocco were from sub-Saharan African countries, with Senegalese nationals forming the largest foreign community at 18 percent, according to the kingdom’s High Commission for Planning.