Fifteen Senegalese football supporters who were imprisoned in Morocco following violent incidents that followed the Africa Cup of Nations final earlier this year have arrived home after receiving a royal pardon from King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
The 15 Senegalese fans were given a welcoming reception in Dakar by the newly sworn-in president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, on Sunday as they were released from prison on a humanitarian basis, ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.
The fans were serving between six months and a year in prison after they and Senegal’s players protested fiercely against the awarding of a last-minute penalty to Morocco after Senegal’s last-minute goal was disallowed in a match at Rabat, which on the night ended in defeat on the field to Morocco, but ultimately saw the cup awarded to the home nation following disciplinary measures by the confederation.
The two North African nations enjoy a good relationship, and their respective monarchs have had a strong relationship for a number of years. The king said that the royal pardon was a result of the fraternal bond between the two African nations.
