Senegal criticizes lack of 'fair play' before facing host nation Morocco in the Africa Cup final

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Senegal has made extensive complaints about the way its national soccer team is being treated in Morocco ahead of Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final against the host nation.

The Senegalese Football Federation, known as FSF, issued a statement in the early hours of Saturday morning in which it criticized a lack of security arrangements for the team’s arrival in Rabat, problems with the team’s accommodation, issues with the training facilities, and difficulties getting a fair ticket allocation for its supporters.

It called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the local organizing committee to “immediately take every corrective measure to guarantee respect for the principles of fair play, equal treatment, and security indispensable for the success of this celebration of African football.”

Senegal 's players traveled by train from Tangier to Rabat on Friday, but found what the federation said was a “clear lack of adequate security measures” upon their arrival. Social media videos showed the players and staff surrounded by crowds of people jostling to get selfies and photos as they attempted to make their way to the team bus.

“We have to say what happened is abnormal, abnormal. For a team like Senegal to be left with the crowd like that, the players were in danger. Anything could have happened through the actions of malicious people,” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said Saturday at the pre-match news conference.

Anger boiled over during the news conference when a Moroccan journalist suggested CAF was to blame for the shortcomings and not the local organizing committee. Senegalese media objected to his statement.

The federation said the lack of security at the train station "exposed the players and technical staff to overcrowding and risks incompatible with the standards of a competition of this magnitude and the prestige of a continental final.”

The federation said it had to file a formal written complaint to get adequate hotel accommodation for the team after its arrival in Rabat. It did not describe the condition of the accommodation the team was first offered.

The federation said it notified CAF of its “categorical refusal” to hold team training sessions at the Mohammed VI Complex, which is where the Morocco team has been based for the whole tournament. Morocco was to train there also Saturday.

The federation said it “raises a question of sporting fairness” and that it still waiting to be informed of where the Senegal team could train. The Olympic Stadium was finally announced as the venue Saturday 1½ hours before the training session was due to take place.

The federation said the ticketing situation was “concerning.” It was only able to purchase 2,850 tickets for its supporters, the maximum according to limits authorized by CAF.

The federation said the allocation is “insufficient given the demand” and that it “deplores the imposed restrictions, which penalize the Senegalese public.”

The capacity of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which is hosting the final, is 69,500 fans. Morocco has been buoyed by vociferous support in all its games so far.

Morocco is bidding to end a 50-year wait for its second Africa Cup title.

Senegal, which won the 2021 trophy, is also going for its second title.

“Up to today, the organization was great, it’s being talked about all over the world, and a big thank you to Morocco for this wonderful organization. They’ve really raised the bar for calmness, and let’s hope it continues” Thiaw said. ”But after what happened yesterday, whatever anyone might say, I don’t know, we all saw it, we’re all witnesses to what happened yesterday. It shouldn’t happen again. It’s the image of Africa ... I’m not speaking as a Senegalese coach, I’m speaking as an African. And I'm speaking on behalf of Africans. And once we get out of this, we’re going to focus on this final. We want to bring home this trophy."

AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations

Senegal squad pose before the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohamed Bounaji)

Profar was suspended by Major League Baseball on Tuesday following his second positive test for a performance-enhancing drug.

Profar, an outfielder and designated hitter, was expected to be a regular, perhaps as the No. 2 hitter behind Ronald Acuña Jr., in Atlanta's lineup. Weiss, speaking to reporters before Wednesday's exhibition game against Team Colombia in North Port, Florida, said the Braves could overcome losing Profar just as they won the 2021 World Series after losing Acuña to a knee injury.

“The moral of the story is something good is likely to come from the bad news,” Weiss said. “It just tends to happen that way. Someone’s gonna step up, someone’s gonna get an opportunity. In 2021, the day we lost Ronald, nobody’s picking that option. And nobody’s taking this option. But guess what, and I truly believe that something good will come of this.”

Weiss had been the Braves' bench coach since 2018 before he was named the manager on Nov. 3, following Brian Snitker's retirement.

Profar tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, the commissioner’s office said, which means testosterone that was not produced by his body. Because it was a second offense, the length of Profar’s suspension was 162 games.

Weiss said he has to prepare to be without Profar all season even though Profar will appeal the suspension.

An All-Star in 2024, Profar was suspended for 80 games last March 31 following a positive test for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that helps production of testosterone. He issued a statement then saying: “I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.”

Catcher Drake Baldwin, the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year, was the designated hitter on Wednesday. Weiss said he expects his designated hitter spot to be “fairly fluid” without Profar.

Weiss said “I feel really good” the Braves signed left fielder Mike Yastrzemski to a $23 million, two-year deal in the offseason. Yastrzemski, Acuña and Michael Harris are expected to be the team's starting outfielders. Profar might have shared time with Yastrzemski in left field on days Baldwin was the designated hitter. Now Eli White may serve as the fourth outfielder.

Mauricio Dubon will open the season as the starting shortstop while Ha-Seong Kim recovers from a finger injury. When Kim returns, Dubon could be another option in the outfield.

Weiss insisted Profar's suspension “doesn’t change anything we do here. We’re getting ready for our season, and it doesn’t change anything about our camp. There’ll be opportunities created because of this. It’s not something that we would choose but that’s where we’re at, and it’s onward. That’s the message, and we have a professional group. They’re handling it really well and very focused.”

Weiss said he has not talked with Profar, who he recently praised for his leadership after returning from last year's suspension.

“Look, I said that and I talked about him winning me over last year and he did,” Weiss said. “I’m not gonna change that. The fact of the matter is he was a really good teammate last year, and was a good player for us, was a leader in our clubhouse, you know? And that’s what I said. None of us saw this coming. So yeah, I stand by what I said at that point in time. And again, we’ll let this (appeal) process play out.”

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Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss (22) walks in the dugout during a rain delay before a spring training baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in North Port, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

FILE - Atlanta Braves' Jurickson Profar reacts during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

FILE - Atlanta Braves' Jurickson Profar reacts after fouling off a pitch during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)