Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph has been thrown into fresh controversy following reports that head coach Pape Thiaw moved the trophy to a military base amid an ongoing dispute with Morocco over the title.

According to multiple reports, the trophy was taken to a secure military facility where it is now under armed guard. Soldiers were reportedly allowed to take photographs with the silverware, in what observers see as a symbolic move to assert Senegal’s claim to the title.

The development comes after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded Morocco a technical victory in the final, overturning Senegal’s on-field success and naming the North African side champions, a decision that has sparked outrage in Dakar.

“Senegal Coach took the AFCON to their military base today. It’s now positioned in the centre of their military camp.

Protecting what rightfully belongs to them” Topskills sports UK wrote on their X page

Senegalese football authorities have rejected the ruling and filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), insisting the title was “won on merit” and should not be decided administratively.

The dispute has drawn strong reactions from players and officials. Captain Kalidou Koulibaly has publicly challenged CAF’s decision, while officials within the Senegalese federation have maintained that surrendering the trophy before a final legal ruling would be premature.

Morocco, however, have accepted the decision, with players and officials celebrating the verdict as confirmation of their championship status.

The controversy has raised broader concerns about governance and disciplinary consistency within African football, with analysts warning that the outcome of the case could set a major precedent for future competitions.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe has called for calm, promising transparency and fairness as the governing body comes under increasing scrutiny.

The AFCON, widely regarded as Africa’s premier football tournament, has grown in global importance in recent years, making the dispute particularly sensitive for the sport’s reputation on the continent.

With the case now before CAS, the final ownership of the trophy remains uncertain, as African football awaits a decisive ruling in one of its most contentious disputes in recent history. (The Guardian, but headline reworked)