Senegal raises concerns over security, ticketing and fairness ahead of AFCON 2025 final
Senegal’s national football team has formally raised serious concerns about security, ticketing, fairness and other organisational issues ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 final against hosts Morocco in Rabat. The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) issued an official statement to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the public outlining multiple complaints, stressing that corrective action is needed to uphold fair play and equal treatment before the showpiece match.
One of the most urgent issues Senegal highlighted was security arrangements when the team arrived in Rabat, particularly at the railway station. The federation said that players and officials were exposed to large crowds with inadequate protection, describing the situation as “incompatible with the standards of a continental final.” This lack of safety measures, they said, risked the wellbeing of the delegation.
Ticketing for Senegalese supporters also emerged as a major point of contention. The FSF stated that it was only allocated a very limited number of tickets for the final, including just two VVIP tickets, with overall numbers considered insufficient compared with the demand from fans already in Morocco. Although Senegal had purchased the maximum number of tickets authorised by CAF including Category 1, 2 and 3 tickets the federation said these amounts did not match the needs of its travelling supporters.
Concerns were also raised about training facilities and sporting fairness. Senegal officially refused to train at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, arguing that the location effectively served as the base camp of the Moroccan team, giving their opponents an advantage. The team has apparently not yet been assigned an alternative training site, adding to their frustration.
Accommodation issues were another part of the complaints, with the delegation needing to file a formal protest before being relocated to a hotel that met their recovery and preparation needs. The federation said these problems were not intended to create controversy but to ensure respect for fair play, equal treatment and security, principles it said were essential for the success of the tournament’s final.
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