Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph has been thrown into fresh controversy following reports that head coach Pape Thiaw moved the trophy to a military base amid an ongoing dispute with Morocco over the title.
This comes after Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomoye Faye was seen displaying the AFCON trophy in his office the development comes after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Senegal of the title and awarded it to Morocco.
According to multiple reports, the trophy was taken to a secure military facility where it is now under armed guard.
Senegal Coach just took the AFCON trophy to the national military base.
They’re protecting what’s rightfully theirs by all means ?? pic.twitter.com/jOUqU30iua
— The Alias (@TheAliasx7) March 19, 2026
Soldiers were reportedly allowed to take photographs with the silverware, in what observers see as a symbolic move to assert Senegal’s claim to the title.
Senegalese football authorities have rejected the ruling and filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), insisting the title was “won on merit” and should not be decided administratively.
The dispute has drawn strong reactions from players and officials. Captain Kalidou Koulibaly has publicly challenged CAF’s decision, while officials within the Senegalese federation have maintained that surrendering the trophy before a final legal ruling would be premature.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe has called for calm, promising transparency and fairness as the governing body comes under increasing scrutiny.
The controversy goes back to the AFCON final in Rabat earlier this year.
In the final moments, Morocco were awarded a highly disputed penalty, which led to a strong reaction from the Senegal camp.
Thiaw ordered his players to walk off the pitch in protest, causing a delay of around 14 minutes. Although the team later returned and went on to win 1-0 after extra time, CAF’s disciplinary committee ruled that the walk off counted as a forfeit.
The result was overturned and Morocco were awarded a 3-0 win.