Abdoulaye Fall’s debrief of the Morocco–Senegal AFCON 2025 final, delivered before Senegalese political, military and media figures, paints the match as a duel not only on the pitch but in a wider arena of power and influence.
In his version, Morocco appears as a dominant manipulator within CAF, while Senegal is cast as a brave outsider resisting a powerful system, a framing that strongly appeals to a public already sensitive to conspiracy themes.
Yet this narrative starts to crumble under closer scrutiny. Fall himself admits that many of the issues he denounces were resolved after direct talks with FRMF president Fouzi Lekjaa, including upgraded security, an alternative training ground and VIP, even royal, tickets, all granted in what he calls “exceptional” conditions.
Claims of “zero security” on arrival are also contradicted by widely shared videos showing police vehicles escorting the Senegal team bus in Rabat.
Fall’s complaints about hotel choice and training venue actually stem from decisions made by his own federation, later reframed as external wrongdoing. His suspicions over refereeing, presented without evidence, shift from procedural concern to open conspiracism, culminating in a protest letter prepared even before the final kicked off.
Most strikingly, he fully assumes institutional responsibility for coach Pape Thiaw’s decision to withdraw the team from the field, even citing ministerial backing, revealing a calculated strategy of pressure where the final becomes a tool in a broader political arm‑wrestling with Morocco and CAF.
📌Hôtel, Insécurité, Arbitre, Acte Pape Thiaw- Le Président de la Fédé Fait de Grosses Révélations…
🎥 Seneweb pic.twitter.com/3oHN7zFSpc— Kilifeuu Guii (@KiliFeuu) January 24, 2026
