Senegal Parade AFCON Trophy In Paris As CAF Secretary General Quits

Senegal carried the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on to the pitch at the Stade de France before beating Peru 2-0 in a friendly on March 28, pressing their claim to a title CAF stripped from them earlier this month.The display came a day before CAF confirmed it would change its statutes and regulations following what president Patrice Motsepe described as a drive to rebuild confidence in refereeing, VAR and its judicial bodies after the January final’s collapse into controversy.CAF secretary general Véron Mosengo-Omba resigned on March 29, with his departure adding to scrutiny of the organisation’s leadership as Senegal pursue an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).Mosengo-Omba said: “After over 30 years of an international professional career… I have decided to step down from my position as secretary general of CAF to devote myself to more personal projects.”At the Stade de France, captain Kalidou Koulibaly and his teammates paraded the trophy for a lap of honour after a pre-match concert by Senegalese artist Youssou N’Dour, before Koulibaly and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy carried it to the presidential box.Senegal also wore shirts bearing two stars, one for their 2021 AFCON title and a second for the disputed January victory over Morocco, in a move designed to underline their stance that the championship was won on the pitch.Nearly 200 Senegal supporters gathered beforehand at the Basilica of Saint-Denis and marched to the stadium behind drums and percussion, with the town’s mayor, Bally Bagayoko, briefly joining the procession.On the pitch, Nicolas Jackson scored before half-time and Ismaila Sarr added a second after the break as Senegal beat a Peru side that failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while several senior players were rested.The match was Senegal’s first since the January 18 final in Rabat, when Pape Gueye scored in extra time to complete what appeared to be a 1-0 win after Senegal briefly left the field in protest at a late penalty decision.CAF’s appeals board overturned the result on March 17 and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory, ruling Senegal had forfeited by walking off, a decision Senegal say damages African football’s credibility.  Senegal lodged a formal appeal at CAS on March 25, with the Swiss-based tribunal expected to appoint a panel and set a procedural timetable as the dispute runs alongside CAF’s promised regulatory overhaul.Motsepe said CAF had taken “extensive legal advice” to align its rules with “global football best practices”, and said it was working with FIFA on training for referees, VAR operators and match commissioners.Senegal face France, Norway and either Iraq or Bolivia in their 2026 FIFA World Cup group.