Africa-Press. Abdallah Fall, president of the Senegalese Football Federation, has sharply criticized both Morocco and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), denouncing what he described as organizational, security and refereeing shortcomings during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, roughly a week after the end of the tournament.
In a video published by the Senegalese outlet Seneweb, Fall said Senegal was the national team that protested the most throughout the competition, claiming that “no country challenged Morocco like Senegal did.” He added that CAF was “controlled by Morocco,” noting that a Moroccan serves as a CAF vice-president, before saying: “Let’s be honest.”
His remarks were delivered in Wolof during a ceremony in one of the regions, where he outlined several complaints raised by the Senegalese delegation following their 1–0 win in the final after extra time.
Fall notably criticized refereeing procedures, explaining that his federation had not been informed of the identity of the match official for the final within the required timeframe: “We were supposed to know the referee two days before the match. We asked, and were told they had no information.” He added that legal deadlines exist for lodging objections to referee appointments, but Senegal only received official notification at 10 p.m. on the eve of the match, making objections impossible.
Fall said CAF justified the decision by claiming it needed to “protect the referee from pressure,” but argued this effectively deprived Senegal of its right to contest the appointment.
He also criticized the team’s accommodation in Rabat, saying that the assigned hotel was centrally located, noisy and difficult to access, which he called unsuitable for a team preparing for a continental final. The squad had previously been based in Tangier before moving to Rabat.
Fall further complained about training facilities, saying Morocco had attempted to impose training sessions at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, the main base of Moroccan national teams: “The center is ultra-modern — nothing comparable exists in Senegal — but if we go there, they will know everything about our team,” referencing tactical privacy concerns.
On the security front, he claimed the Senegalese delegation was caught in chaotic crowds upon arrival in Rabat, with insufficient arrangements to ensure safe passage for players.
Under these conditions, Fall said he contacted Moroccan FA and CAF officials directly, telling them Senegal would “never agree to play under such circumstances.” As a result, he said, measures were taken: security was reinforced, an alternative training pitch was provided, and the team was moved to a new hotel that met requirements.
