Senegalese defender #03 Kalidou Koulibaly leaves the pitch during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) semi-final football match between Senegal and Egypt at the Grand stadium in Tangiers on January 14, 2026. AFP
Senegal has made extensive complaints about the way its national soccer team is being treated in Morocco ahead of Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final against the host nation.
The Senegalese Football Federation, known as FSF, issued a statement in the early hours of Saturday morning in which it criticized an alleged lack of security arrangements for the team’s arrival in Rabat, problems with the team’s accommodation, issues with the training facilities, and difficulties getting a fair ticket allocation for its supporters.
It called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the local organizing committee to “immediately take every corrective measure to guarantee respect for the principles of fair play, equal treatment, and security indispensable for the success of this celebration of African football.”
Senegal ‘s players traveled by train from Tangier to Rabat on Friday, but found what the federation said was a “clear lack of adequate security measures” upon their arrival. Social media videos showed the players and staff surrounded by crowds of people jostling to get selfies and photos as they attempted to make their way to the team bus.
“We have to say what happened is abnormal, abnormal for a team like Senegal to be left with the crowd like that. The players were in danger. Anything could have happened through the actions of malicious people,” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said Saturday at the pre-match news conference.
Anger boiled over during the news conference when one journalist suggested CAF was to blame for the shortcomings and not the local organizing committee. Senegalese media objected to his statement.
The federation said the lack of security at the train station “exposed the players and technical staff to overcrowding and risks incompatible with the standards of a competition of this magnitude and the prestige of a continental final.”
The federation said it had to file a formal written complaint to get adequate hotel accommodation for the team after its arrival in Rabat. It did not describe the condition of the accommodation the team was first offered.
The federation said it notified CAF of its “categorical refusal” to hold team training sessions at the Mohammed VI Complex, which is where the Morocco team has been based for the whole tournament. Morocco will also train there Saturday.
The federation said it “raises a question of sporting fairness” and that it still had not been informed of where the Senegal team can train.
In the media activities agenda for Saturday, shared with media on Friday, Senegal’s training session location was still to be confirmed.
The federation said the ticketing situation was “concerning.” It was only able to purchase 2,850 tickets for its supporters as per the maximum limits authorized by CAF.
The federation said the allocation is “insufficient given the demand” and that it “deplores the imposed restrictions, which penalize the Senegalese public.”
The capacity of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which is hosting the final, is 69,500 fans. Morocco has been buoyed by vociferous support in all its games so far.
Morocco is bidding to end a 50-year wait for its second Africa Cup title. Senegal, which won the 2021 trophy, is also going for its second title.
The federation said it was making its complaints public “in the interest of transparency and to defend the interests of the Senegalese national team.”
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