A court in Morocco has sentenced 18 football supporters from Senegal to prison terms of between three and 12 months over hooliganism linked to the AFCON final.
The fans had been in custody since January 18, when Morocco lost 1–0 at home and some supporters allegedly attempted to storm the pitch while others threw objects onto the field.
Prosecutors urged tough penalties, telling the court the defendants had “deliberately sought to disrupt the proper conduct of the match” and “committed acts of violence broadcast live on television.” The accused denied wrongdoing.
Authorities said stadium damage exceeded four million Moroccan dirhams ($430,000), adding that surveillance footage and medical reports documenting injuries to security personnel formed part of the evidence.
Defence lawyer Naima El Guellaf argued the video material did not “contain irrefutable proof showing that any one of them struck or assaulted anyone”, and said the defendants should not be “tried twice, since CAF has already sanctioned the Senegalese federation for the supporters’ behaviour”.
Earlier, the Confederation of African Football imposed financial penalties on both Senegalese and Moroccan football authorities over misconduct and fair-play violations.
However, Mustapha Simou, representing members of the security services, insisted CAF’s measures did “not exempt the accused from criminal responsibility. On the contrary, they confirm their guilt”.
