Patrice Motsepe reacts to the release of Senegalese fans in Morocco

The President of the Confederation of African Football welcomed the royal pardon granted to them.

Convicted following the incidents that occurred during the Africa Cup of Nations final on 18 January 2026 in Rabat, these Senegalese supporters are now free to move about. The 15 who were still in detention have been pardoned by King Mohammed VI of Morocco. A gesture welcomed by Patrice Motsepe.

“On behalf of the CAF Member Associations representing 54 African countries, I wish to express our deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, for granting his Royal Pardon to the Senegalese supporters convicted of offences related to the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025. CAF has always emphasised its commitment to using football to contribute to the unity of our peoples of diverse racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds. The pardon granted by His Majesty King Mohammed VI is an inspiring and motivating illustration of football’s power to unite peoples and bring them closer together, both in Africa and across the world. I was impressed and filled with admiration when I was shown the deep-rooted historical ties between the peoples of Senegal and Morocco during my visit to both countries a few weeks ago.”