DR ‹ › After announcing plans to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following the stripping of its AFCON 2025 title, awarded to Morocco on forfeit, Senegal has taken a new step, calling for an independent international investigation into suspected corruption within CAF's governing bodies. In a statement issued on March 18, the Senegalese government expressed its «deep dismay» over the ruling by CAF's Appeals Committee, describing it as «unprecedented» and of «exceptional gravity». It said the decision «directly clashes with the fundamental principles of sporting ethics, foremost among them fairness, loyalty and respect for the truth on the pitch». Dakar also denounced «a manifestly erroneous reading of the regulations», leading, in its view, to a decision that is «grossly illegal and profoundly unjust». By questioning the outcome of a match «regularly completed and won in accordance with the rules of the game», CAF is, according to the statement, dealing «a serious blow to its own credibility and to the legitimate trust that African peoples place in continental sports institutions». Senegal stressed that it cannot accept «an administrative decision erasing commitment, merit and sporting excellence», firmly rejecting what it described as an «unjustified dispossession». The government added it will pursue «all appropriate avenues of appeal, including before competent international judicial bodies», to ensure justice is served and «the primacy of the sporting result» restored. The statement also addressed the case of 18 Senegalese supporters detained in Morocco following incidents during the final, reaffirming «the nation's full solidarity» and its «full mobilization» to ensure a swift resolution. A day earlier, CAF's Appeals Committee ruled that Senegal had withdrawn from the final, awarding Morocco a 3–0 victory by default.
