A Moroccan court on Thursday sentenced 18 Senegalese football supporters to prison terms ranging from three to 12 months over hooliganism charges arising from the Africa Cup of Nations final.

The supporters had been in pre-trial detention since 18 January, the day of the heated AFCON final in which Morocco lost 1–0 to Senegal on home soil. Prosecutors said some Senegalese fans attempted to invade the pitch, while others threw objects onto the field.

Seeking the maximum penalty for some of the accused, the prosecution told the court that the defendants had “deliberately sought to disrupt the proper conduct of the match”.

It added that the group had “committed acts of violence broadcast live on television”. The defendants denied any wrongdoing.

Material damage to the stadium was estimated at more than four million Moroccan dirhams (approximately $430,000), the prosecution said.

It further stated that the case against the defendants was based on footage from the stadium’s surveillance cameras, as well as medical reports documenting injuries sustained by security personnel and stadium stewards.

Their lawyer, Ms. Naima El Guellaf, argued that the footage did not “contain irrefutable proof showing that any one of them struck or assaulted anyone”.

In late January, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) imposed a series of sanctions, including fines amounting to several hundred thousand dollars, on both the Senegalese and Moroccan football federations for unsporting behaviour and breaches of fair play.

Guellaf contended that the defendants should not be “tried twice, since CAF has already sanctioned the Senegalese federation for the supporters’ behaviour”.

However, Mr. Mustapha Simou, counsel to the civil party representing members of the security forces, argued that CAF’s sanctions did “not exempt the accused from criminal responsibility. On the contrary, they confirm their guilt”.