Senegal’s football federation has formally rejected a request from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to hand over the Africa Cup of Nations trophy, according to a report from Akhbarona.
The dispute centers on the official winner’s trophy from the 2021 AFCON tournament, which Senegal won. Morocco has reportedly lodged a claim for the cup, arguing that the original trophy was lost and the one currently held by Senegal is a replica. The Senegalese federation, however, maintains its position as the rightful holder.
In an official statement, the Senegalese federation declared, “The Senegalese Football Federation formally rejects the request of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to return the Africa Cup of Nations trophy.” They emphasized that the trophy was “legitimately won” by the Senegalese national team in Cameroon.
The federation’s statement further clarified the history of the cup, noting that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had commissioned a new trophy before the 2002 tournament. This is the trophy that has been awarded to all champions since, including Egypt, Cameroon, and Zambia. Senegal received this same trophy after their 2021 victory.
“Therefore, the trophy in our possession is indeed the official original trophy of the Africa Cup of Nations,” the Senegalese statement concluded, firmly dismissing the Moroccan claim.
