AFCON: SENEGALESE SUPPORTERS HELD IN MOROCCO RISK UP TO TWO-YEAR JAIL TERMS

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By: Sefiu Ajape

Moroccan prosecutors on Thursday requested prison sentences of up to two years for 18 Senegalese football fans detained in Rabat following last month’s AFCON final, over allegations of “hooliganism,” an AFP journalist reported.

Pushing for the maximum punishment for some of the accused, the prosecution told the court that the defendants had “deliberately sought to disrupt the proper conduct of the match.”

According to prosecutors, the group “committed acts of violence broadcast live on television,” a claim the defendants have denied, insisting they committed no offense.

The Senegalese supporters have remained in pre-trial detention since January 18, the day of the tense AFCON final in which Morocco suffered a 1-0 defeat to Senegal on home soil.

Shortly before the final whistle, some Senegalese fans attempted to invade the pitch, while Senegal’s players halted play for nearly 20 minutes in protest against a late penalty awarded to Morocco.

Several supporters were also seen throwing objects onto the field, including a chair.

Prosecutors said their case relied on surveillance footage from stadium cameras as well as medical reports documenting injuries sustained by security personnel and stadium stewards.

They added that material damage to the stadium was estimated at more than 4 million Moroccan dirhams ($430,000).

Morocco is scheduled to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.