DIPLOMACY
From Brotherhood to Bitterness: AFCON Fallout Tests Senegal–Morocco Longstanding Bond
Dakar and Rabat have longstanding ties, but relations have been strained since the Africa Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won in mid-January before being stripped of the title, which was transferred to Morocco.
Now the AFCON trophy is something of a thorn in the two countries’ sides.
On Rue Mohamed V, the street where Moroccan vendors are based in the Senegalese capital, a police van is parked.
“The police have been on high alert since the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to award the title to Morocco, but there have been no incidents,” a local resident told AFP.
CAF stripped Senegal of its title on March 17, over the team’s angry departure from the pitch after a penalty was awarded to Morocco late in second-half stoppage time.
In a photo the following day, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was seen in his office with the trophy behind him.
Senegal has lodged an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the matter, and some fans have meanwhile called for a boycott of Moroccan goods.
On March 18, Dakar called for an international investigation into “allegations of corruption within the CAF leadership” in a statement that sent a chill through Morocco.
“An official (Senegalese) document mentioned corruption. It insinuates that Morocco is the corrupting influence without, of course, any evidence and this could have repercussions,” Morocco’s Aziz Daouda, a track and field official and former athlete, told AFP.
He added that “comments made by certain Senegalese football officials are damaging relations” between the two countries, referring to allegations that Morocco controls CAF.
‘Hostages’ of Morocco
One of Senegal’s points of contention is the detention of 18 Senegalese football fans in Morocco for more than two months now.
They were sentenced on February 19 to prison terms ranging from three months to a year for hooliganism.
Minutes before the end of the match, some Senegalese supporters attempted to storm the pitch while Senegal’s players halted the game for nearly 20 minutes in protest of the late penalty to Morocco.
The appeal hearing for the 18 fans was postponed for a second time on Monday until April 13.
Dozens of demonstrators in Dakar called for their release at the end of February, describing them as “hostages” of Morocco.
“One gets the impression that this affair goes beyond the realm of sport and that is regrettable. For two countries that claim to be friends, such as Morocco and Senegal, things should not have come to this,” Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said in late February, lamenting the supporters’ convictions.
That said, Morocco’s relationship with Senegal is “unique, specific and extraordinary”, Senegal’s Director of Religious Affairs Djim Ousmane Drame said in a recent article.
“Morocco has always been the only (African) country with which diplomatic relations with Senegal are based on an emotional bond and popular appeal, beyond the institutions and bilateral ties,” Bakary Sambe of the Timbuktu Institute think tank told AFP.
Fez, for example, is a favourite destination for many Senegalese Muslim followers of Tidianism, an influential brotherhood in Senegal whose founder, Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane, is buried there.
Moroccan authorities meanwhile made no comment and “preferred not to get involved in this football affair” following the CAF decision, Daouda said.
Business, diplomacy partners
In late January in Rabat, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch spoke of a “natural, lasting” relationship with Senegal where he said Morocco has invested more than $540 million.
Many Moroccan companies operate in Senegal, particularly in the food, pharmaceutical, energy, construction, mining, banking and insurance sectors.
On the international stage, the two countries’ diplomatic views are generally aligned.
Senegalese nationals constitute the largest group of foreign residents in the kingdom (18.4 percent), according to official figures, and a robust student exchange also exists between the two countries.
“There are many of us on both sides trying to calm down all those hotheads from both camps who enjoy spreading irresponsible claims, lots of ‘fake news’ and plenty of insults,” Daouda said.
Former Senegalese foreign minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio wrote in early February that “a hundred minutes of football will never be able to ruin a thousand years of close ties between Senegal and Morocco”.
-AFP
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The Republic of Mali has officially withdrawn its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), marking a significant shift in its foreign policy on the long-standing Western Sahara dispute.
The announcement was made in a government statement delivered by Mali’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulaye Diop, following a high-level meeting with Morocco’s Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, in Bamako.
According to the statement, the decision came “following a thorough review” of the Western Sahara issue, which Mali said has direct implications for peace and security in the sub-region. As a result, Bamako declared that it no longer recognises the SADR, a self-proclaimed state backed by the Polisario Front.
The visit of Bourita to Mali was undertaken under the directive of King Mohammed VI, reflecting Morocco’s sustained diplomatic push to consolidate support for its position on Western Sahara across Africa.
In a notable policy alignment, Mali expressed its support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal, describing it as “the only serious and credible basis” for resolving the dispute. The Malian government added that granting genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty represents “the most realistic solution” to the conflict.
Mali also reaffirmed its backing for ongoing international efforts to resolve the issue, including initiatives led by the United Nations. It specifically referenced support for the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy and the provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797 (2025), which addresses the situation in Western Sahara.
The Malian government stated that it would formally communicate its new position to regional and international organisations of which it is a member, as well as to members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Bamako.
Mali’s decision is expected to have wider diplomatic implications within Africa, where countries remain divided over the status of Western Sahara, one of the continent’s most enduring geopolitical disputes.
- Summary
- Iranian media says five players secretly left the hotel
- Australian media said players were seeking government help after ‘breaking free’
- Trump says Albanese is doing very good job in ‘delicate situation’
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had spoken to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the Iranian women’s soccer team after reports that five players had sought asylum in Australia.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said five players in Australia for the Asian Cup secretly left the team hotel with Australian police, and media reports said they were seeking Australian government assistance after “breaking free”.
People attempt to block a bus transporting Iranian players following the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Group A match between Iran and the Philippines at Gold Coast Stadium on the Gold Coast, Australia, March 8, 2026. AAP/via REUTERS
After initially posting on social media that Australia was “making a terrible humanitarian mistake” by allowing the team to be sent back home, Trump said in a later post that he had spoken to Albanese and that the Australian leader was “doing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation”.
Trump said five members of the Iran squad “have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way”.
“Some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return,” he said.
Australia’s SBS News said five players from the Iranian women’s team were now under the protection of the Australian Federal Police, seeking assistance from the government. It said government sources had confirmed the reports, adding that Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had flown to Brisbane to meet with the women.
The Iranians’ campaign in the Australian-hosted Asian Cup tournament started just as the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. They were eliminated on Sunday after losing 2-0 to the Philippines.
In his earlier post, Trump said members of the team would “likely be killed” if forced to return to Iran. “The U.S. will take them if you won’t, ” he added.
Australia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks.
FIFPRO VOICES CONCERNS
Soccer’s global players’ union FIFPRO said on Monday there were serious concerns for the welfare of the Iranian team after being labelled for refusing to sing their national anthem before a game.
The players’ decision to stand in silence during Iran’s anthem before their first match against South Korea was labelled by a commentator on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting as the “pinnacle of dishonour”.
Iranian media quoted Farideh Shojaei, vice president for women’s affairs at the Iranian Football Federation, as saying the team had left the hotel through the back door with the police.
“We have contacted the embassy, the football federation, the foreign ministry and anywhere possible to see what will happen,” she said. “We have even spoken with the families of these five players.”
Iranian media named the players as Zahra Sarbali, Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Ghanbari, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramazani-Zadeh.
It said other team members were still in Australia and quoted Shojaei as saying the squad had planned to return to Iran via Dubai, but the United Arab Emirates had not allowed them to do so.
It said efforts were now expected to be made for the team to return via Malaysia and Turkey.
The Iranian team sang their national anthem and saluted before their second match against Australia, sparking fears among human rights campaigners that the women had been coerced by government minders.
When asked whether Australia would grant the players asylum, Matt Thistlethwaite, the assistant minister for foreign affairs and trade, said the government could not go into individual circumstances for privacy reasons.
-Reuters
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Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita, has reaffirmed that the security and stability of Gulf Arab states are inseparable from Morocco’s own national security.
Speaking during an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the League of Arab States held on Sunday to discuss Iran’s attacks on Arab states, Bourita stressed that Morocco views any threat to Gulf countries as a direct threat to itself.
“What harms you harms us, and what affects us affects you,” Bourita said, reiterating Morocco’s long-standing commitment to the security of Gulf nations.
The meeting, attended remotely by the Moroccan minister, was convened to address what participants described as Iran’s aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Arab countries.
Bourita noted that Morocco’s position reflects the policy consistently articulated by King Mohammed VI, who has repeatedly emphasised solidarity with Gulf partners. He revealed that the Moroccan monarch recently held telephone conversations with leaders of Gulf states to express Morocco’s support for their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
The minister also recalled the king’s remarks during the Moroccan-Gulf Summit on April 20, 2016, where Mohammed VI declared that defending shared security among Arab nations is “not only a common duty but an indivisible one.”
During the emergency session, Bourita strongly condemned what he described as “brutal Iranian attacks” on Arab countries, calling them a blatant violation of their sovereignty and a serious threat to regional stability. Morocco, he said, stands in full solidarity with the affected states and supports any legitimate measures they deem necessary to safeguard their citizens and territories.
He further accused the Iranian regime of pursuing destabilizing policies across the region, alleging that Tehran seeks to create and support militias and groups loyal to it in order to undermine the stability and interests of neighboring countries.
Bourita urged Arab nations to strengthen unity and collective action through the League of Arab States as the most effective means of protecting regional security and safeguarding national sovereignty.
Concluding his remarks, the Moroccan foreign minister called for a unified Arab stance against actions that threaten regional stability and demanded the immediate cessation of Iranian attacks, saying such a move would open the door for diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation in the region.
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