By Kunle Solaja

The Confederation of African Football may be considering possible disciplinary measures against Senegal following reports that the country’s national team has continued to parade the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy despite being stripped of the title.

The development has triggered fresh debate within African football circles, with CAF understood to be treating the matter as a potential breach of its statutes and disciplinary code.

Sources close to the continental body indicate that Senegal’s actions could be interpreted as defiance of an official ruling, raising concerns about respect for regulatory authority and the precedent such conduct may set for other member associations.

CAF is believed to be weighing a range of sanctions, which could include financial penalties, formal reprimands, or restrictions on the country’s participation in certain CAF programmes and competitions.

While no final decision has been announced, insiders suggest that the governing body is keen to send a strong message on compliance and institutional discipline.

There are also indications that CAF’s disciplinary committee may be tasked with reviewing the circumstances surrounding the continued public display of the trophy, including whether the act constitutes misconduct under its regulations.

The issue is seen as more than a symbolic dispute over silverware. Analysts argue that how CAF handles the situation will reflect its ability to enforce decisions and maintain order among its 54 member associations.

“CAF cannot afford to appear weak on matters of discipline,” a source familiar with the situation said. “If a federation openly disregards a ruling, it undermines the entire governance structure.”

CAF is expected to provide clarity on the issue during an upcoming press engagement, where its president may outline the organisation’s position and any disciplinary steps to be taken.

For Senegal, the situation presents a delicate balancing act between national pride and compliance with continental football authority. For CAF, it represents a critical test of leadership and regulatory enforcement at a time when the credibility of African football governance remains under close watch.

The coming days are likely to determine whether the matter escalates into a full disciplinary case or is resolved through diplomatic engagement behind the scenes.

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Senegal defiantly displayed the Africa Cup of Nations trophy to their supporters on Saturday before going on to beat Peru 2-0 in their World Cup warm-up game at the Stade de France.

Nicolas Jackson ​scored four minutes before halftime, and Ismaila Sarr added a second in the 54th as ‌Senegal won their first game since January’s Cup of Nations final, when they beat Morocco only to be stripped of the title this month.

The Confederation of African Football’s Appeal Board awarded Morocco the Cup of Nations title after Senegal had staged a 14-minute walk-off during the final in Rabat, a decision that Senegal is contesting at the Court of Arbitration ​for Sport.

An hour before kick off in Paris on Saturday, Senegal’s players and coach ⁠Pape Bouna Thiaw walked around the pitch with the trophy to a delirious reception from a near-capacity crowd ​as they continue to scoff at the CAF decision.

Thiaw had declared on Friday that “we know we’re African champions” ​and the team wore a newly designed strip featuring two stars above their badge, representing success in the Cup of Nations in 2021 and again this year.

Jackson had an easy put-away for the first goal after a storming run down the right wing ​by Senegal’s teenage starlet Ibrahima Mbaye, taking over the attacking mantle with Sadio Mane absent.

Sarr latched onto a ​ricocheted ball that fell perfectly into his path but had to power past two defenders before scoring the second goal.

There ‌was also ⁠a convincing win for the Ivory Coast as they hammered South Korea 4-0 at Stadium MK, north of London, on Saturday.

Like Senegal, the Ivorians are among the nine African countries that will compete at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the U.S starting in June.

Evann Guessand scored the first goal in the 35th ​minute after being set up ​by debutant Martial Godo, ⁠who then scored the third himself from a rebound at a corner after 62 minutes.

In between, Simon Adingra announced his return to the team with a rasping shot ​on the stroke of halftime to make it 2-0.

He had been omitted from ​the squad for ⁠the Cup of Nations in Morocco at the turn of the year, where the Ivorians were defending their title but went out in the quarter-finals.

Defender Wilfried Singo, another player back in the squad, side-footed the fourth goal with the ⁠last ​kick of the game.

The Ivorians next face Scotland at Everton’s Hill ​Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, while Senegal head home to play neighbours Gambia in Dakar on Tuesday, where they are expected to again brandish ​the golden trophy in front of their home support.

Reuters

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Burundi took a commanding step towards the next round of the Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 qualifiers with a convincing 4-0 away win over Chad in the first leg of the preliminary round on Friday.

Goals from Jordi Liongola, Bienvenue Kanakimana, Abdoul Karim and Mossi Nduwumwe secured a dominant win at the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Déby Itno in N’Djamena, giving Burundi a strong advantage ahead of the return leg in Bujumbura.

The result puts Burundi firmly in control of the two-legged tie as they look to progress to the group stage qualifiers of the next continental finals, set to be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Burundi made a fast start and were rewarded as early as the sixth minute when Liongola opened the scoring, capitalising on defensive uncertainty to give the visitors an early lead.

Chad struggled to recover from the setback and found themselves further behind just after the half-hour mark when Kanakimana doubled Burundi’s advantage in the 32nd minute.

Trailing 2-0 at the break, Chad needed a strong response but it was Burundi who continued to dictate proceedings in the second half.

Karim extended the lead in the 63rd minute, effectively putting the tie beyond the hosts, before Nduwumwe added a fourth goal in the 74th minute to cap a clinical performance.

Meanwhile, Abel Yalew scored twice as Ethiopia secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Sao Tome & Principe to take firm control of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 preliminary round tie.

Kenean Markneh had earlier set Ethiopia on their way with a 22nd-minute opener at El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida, Morocco, before Yalew struck nine minutes later to double the lead and silence any hopes of a response.

Yalew added his second of the night late on, finishing confidently in the 78th minute to hand Ethiopia a commanding advantage ahead of the return leg on 31 March.

The result puts Ethiopia in a strong position as they seek to progress to the group stage of the qualifiers for the 2027 finals.

Elsewhere, Somalia and Mauritius played out a goalless draw in their first-leg clash, leaving their tie finely balanced heading into the return fixture.

The preliminary round marks the beginning of the road to the Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027, with 12 of the continent’s lowest-ranked teams competing for six places in the group stage qualifiers.

With a four-goal cushion, Burundi will head into the second leg full of confidence, while Chad face a daunting task to overturn the deficit and keep their qualification hopes alive.

-Cafonline

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