A total of 18 Senegalese fans have protested their continued detention in Morocco and have begun a hunger strike.
The supporters, who have been held since the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final on January 18, 2026, announced through their legal counsel on Friday that they will refuse food until they are granted a fair opportunity to be heard by the Moroccan justice system.
The group was arrested during the chaotic final match in Rabat, where Senegal defeated the host nation, Morocco, 1-0 in extra time.
The proceedings were marred by pitch invasions and projectiles thrown from the stands after a late penalty was awarded to Morocco, a decision that led to a 20-minute standoff by the Senegalese players.
According to reports, some Senegalese fans allegedly attempted to invade the field minutes before the final whistle, while others were seen throwing objects, including a chair, after a controversial late penalty awarded to Morocco.
According to their lawyer, Patrick Kabou, the detainees claim they are being denied their fundamental “right to justice.”
The Senegalese fans also alleged they were interrogated in Arabic and French, languages they do not speak, while they only communicate in their native Wolof.
“My clients told me they have been waiting to learn the charges against them since January 18,” Kabou said. “They feel they are being denied their right to justice.”
“They only speak Wolof, yet all questioning was done in French and Arabic,” the lawyer noted.
The detainees have vowed to continue their hunger strike “until Moroccan justice gives us the chance to be heard,” Kabou added.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the 18 Senegalese fans protested their detention in Morocco after their hearing, which was scheduled for Thursday, February 5, 2026, in Rabat, was delayed to a new date, February 12, due to a strike by Moroccan lawyers.
This postponement further intensified the suffering of these fans and their families, who have already endured weeks of pre-trial detention.
The 18 fans are facing criminal charges including assaulting security forces and acts of vandalism.
Recall also that the Moroccan court recently rejected applications for the fans’ conditional release, keeping them behind bars as the trial remains in limbo.
The upcoming court session, now set for February 12, is expected to be a decisive moment in the course of this case.
