The Senegal national team handed over the African Cup of Nations 2025 trophy to the military for safekeeping after being ordered to return the title, causing major controversy in the football world.
On 20 Mar 2026 GMT+7, the Senegal national team sent the African Cup of Nations 2025 trophy to the military for safekeeping after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to revoke Senegal's championship and award the title to the host nation, Morocco. This followed disturbances in the final two months earlier, when Senegal's players temporarily walked out in protest of refereeing decisions.
This action by Senegal was a form of protest as they refused to accept the ruling and declined to return the trophy. Senegal's coach, Pape Thiao, placed the championship trophy at a military base under strict protection and firmly insisted they would not return the trophy under any circumstances.
The Senegal national team plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to seek justice, arguing that CAF's decision to revoke their championship was unfair.