France, Sept. 24 -- Senegal's squad originally brandished the Cup of Nations trophy following their 1-0 win over Morocco at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat on 18 January 2026.

They start their campaign for next year's tournament against Mozambique in Maputo in Group J on Friday.

But Morocco, who begin against Gabon in Group A on Friday night in Rabat, were awarded the 2025 championships on 17 March after the organisers stripped Senegal of the title for flouting competition rules.

The appeals panel of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) said Senegal effectively forfeited the game when they walked off the pitch and delayed the match for nearly 20 minutes in protest over the decision of referee Jean-Jacques Ngambo to con...