SENEGAL’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko will begin an official visit to Morocco on Monday, after fans from his country were detained in incidents there at the Africa Cup of Nations football final, officials said.
Eighteen Senegalese supporters remain in pre‑trial detention in Morocco, where they face charges of hooliganism at the match, won 1-0 by Senegal against Morocco after time on January 18.
Their trial opened Thursday at a Rabat court and was postponed to 29 January.
However, the two countries have cooperative relations in sectors including tourism, energy, infrastructure, and transport, and share strong religious ties.
Sonko’s trip takes place within the framework of a joint commission between the two states, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, a source at the Senegalese foreign ministry said.
A Moroccan‑Senegalese economic forum is planned for the occasion, according to the Moroccan news agency MAP.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI expressed regret over the incidents, and Sonko called for tensions to be defused.
Rival fans have continued to trade barbs on social media.
Senegal stunned Morocco in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final as Pape Gueye’s goal gave them a 1-0 extra-time win over the hosts at the end of a match marred by disgraceful scenes following a controversial penalty award.
Congolese match referee Jean-Jacques Ndala gave the penalty right at the end of the allotted eight added minutes following a VAR check for a challenge on Diaz in the box by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Diaz, the rest of the Moroccan team and their bench vehemently protested to the referee to check the images, but the decision to eventually give the spot-kick was met with fury by Senegal and their fans.
As most of their players walked off the pitch, some Senegal supporters in the small section of away fans at the opposite end of the stadium threw chairs and other objects and attempted to get onto the field of play.
They were eventually contained by a large barrier of police and stewards, and their anger turned to delight and disbelief when the penalty was saved.
The Senegal team had initially been riled by the referee’s decision to disallow for a foul a goal they scored in the second added minute when Abdoulaye Seck headed off the post at a corner and Ismaila Sarr nodded in the rebound.
After Diaz’s penalty miss, however, it felt almost inevitable that a galvanised Senegal would go on to score, and they did so in the fourth minute of extra time to stun the home fans in the crowd of 66,526 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Sadio Mane won possession in midfield and found Idrissa Gana Gueye, who released his namesake Pape Gueye.
The Villarreal midfielder held off the backtracking Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi as he advanced towards the box before beating goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with a superb strike into the top corner.