Africa-Press. The Moroccan royal palace announced that King Mohammed VI has granted clemency to Senegalese fans convicted of rioting during the African Cup of Nations final, hosted by Morocco earlier this year.
The palace clarified in a statement that Morocco granted amnesty to the Senegalese supporters “for humanitarian reasons” ahead of the Eid al-Adha celebrations, and “in light of the longstanding brotherly relations” between the two countries, as Senegal has long been one of Morocco’s closest allies in Africa.
Eighteen Senegalese fans were sentenced in April to prison terms ranging from three months to one year on charges related to rioting, although some have already been released after serving their sentences.
The charges against them included violence against security forces, throwing projectiles, damaging stadium infrastructure, and attempting to storm the pitch after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) awarded a penalty to Morocco.
Senegal withdrew in protest but returned after 14 minutes. Morocco missed the penalty, and Senegal won the final match 1-0.
In March, two months after the match in Rabat, Morocco was declared the winner of the African Cup of Nations, and Senegal was stripped of the title after the Confederation of African Football upheld Senegal’s appeal against the result. Senegal has appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the highest sports court.
