When the Final Becomes a Courtroom: AFCON 2025 Chaos in Morocco
6 February 2026
Riots and a Delayed Hearing
In Rabat, a Moroccan court postponed the trial of several Senegalese fans along with one Algerian amid rioting during the Africa Cup of Nations final held in Morocco in 2025.
The adjournment was scheduled for Thursday, February 12, after a lawyers’ strike disrupted court operations, preventing the hearing from taking place as planned.
Authorities had detained 18 Senegalese supporters, among them an Algerian, for assaulting stadium workers and breaching the pitch before security forces restored order.
Hunger Strikes and the Final Outcome
In a related development, the defense said the accused began a hunger strike from Friday in protest against interrogations conducted in French and Arabic, languages they do not understand; their native tongue is Wolof.
Meanwhile, Senegal clinched the Africa Cup of Nations title, beating host Morocco 1-0 after extra time.
Punchline 1: If the courtroom were as fast as a counter-attack, the verdict would be delivered before the lunch menu.
Punchline 2: They understood Wolof on the pitch, but apparently not when the judge said “guilty” in three languages—talk about a multilingual defense!
