Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed his "most sincere thanks" to King Mohammed VI of Morocco after the monarch granted a royal pardon to three Senegalese football supporters. The fans had been sentenced to prison terms in Morocco following incidents during a football match.
The three supporters, identified as Moussa Ndiaye, Cheikh Diop, and Ibrahima Dieng, were arrested in September 2025 after clashes at a match between Senegal's ASC Jaraaf and Morocco's AS FAR in Rabat. They were initially sentenced to one year in prison, later reduced on appeal.
President Faye's statement, released on May 23, 2026, praised the "noble gesture" by the Moroccan sovereign, which he said reflects the strong ties of brotherhood between the two nations. The Senegalese leader also thanked Moroccan authorities for their cooperation in resolving the matter.
The royal pardon, issued on May 22, 2026, allowed the three fans to return to Senegal. The case had drawn attention from Senegalese civil society and football authorities, who had called for clemency.
