Are we watching a game of “Qui Perd Gagne” in the absence of a football match? Senegal, recently stripped of its title of African champion on the green carpet to the benefit of Morocco, still presented the CAN trophy, which it still claims, before a friendly match against Peru, Saturday at the Stade de France.
The international Kalidou Coulibaly, the CAN trophy in his arms, followed by all his partners in tracksuits, entered the lawn of the Saint-Denis stadium during a mini-concert by Youssou Ndour, the Senegalese superstar, before starting a tour of the field, the cup passing from hand to hand.
Then the Senegalese captain and Edouard Mendy, his goalkeeper, went up to the presidential stand of the stadium to deposit the trophy in front of Abdoulaye Fall, the president of the Senegalese Federation.
This week the appeal jury of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) withdrew the victory from Senegal, justifying its decision by the application of articles 82 and 84 of the CAN regulations, according to which if a team “refuses to play or leaves the field before the legal end of the match”, “it will be considered a loser and will be definitively eliminated from the current competition”.
The Senegalese Football Federation appealed this decision on Wednesday before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and has not given up celebrating a title that it considers still in its possession.
Even the new mayor of Saint-Denis gets involved
Outside, nearly 200 Senegalese supporters gathered on the square in front of the Saint-Denis Basilica to join the Stade de France to the sound of traditional drums and percussion.
Bally Bagayoko, the new LFI mayor of Saint-Denis briefly joined the procession. “Welcome to Saint-Denis,” assured the councilor. You make the inhabitants of working-class neighborhoods proud. Often we have been discriminated against, often we have been looked down upon. You demonstrate that you are capable, in such an important moment, of coming together. Today Africa is united. All behind Senegal.”
Around 3 p.m., while the stands of the Stade de France began to fill with the expected 70,000 spectators, the Senegalese players proceeded to reconnoiter the pitch at the same time as a mini-concert by Obree Daman, a popular artist from Senegal.
Before Youssou Ndour came to close a show which the rapper Booba, announced but injured, had to give up, to make way for the meeting.
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