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Pape Bouna Thiaw insists Senegal remain undisputed AFCON winners

Pape Bouna Thiaw insists Senegal remain undisputed AFCON winners
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In his initial statement following the Confederation of African Football's Appeal Board granting Morocco the Africa Cup of Nations crown after Senegal's 14-minute protest exit in the January final held in Rabat, Thiaw informed journalists: "We know we are African champions."

The Senegalese team is currently in Paris for a World Cup preparation match against Peru at the Stade de France, and during Fridays pre-match media session, Thiaw expressed his desire for the squad to concentrate on the sport and steer clear of the uproar linked to the ruling from Africas football authority.

This week, Senegal submitted a challenge to the Swiss headquartered Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"The key priority is to stay undistracted," Thiaw continued, having been central to the disputed protest and facing significant repercussions for his involvement.

He is cleared to represent Senegal at the World Cup in June, with the upcoming warm-up match succeeded by a further exhibition against nearby rivals Gambia in Dakar on Tuesday.

"We know we are African champions. We will continue our efforts to secure additional honours. It is evident to us that tournaments and awards are earned through play on the field. We have achieved this; we are African champions," Thiaw declared to the press.

Senegals most experienced player Idrissa Gueye likewise highlighted the teams accomplishments during matches.

"For us as athletes, no substitute exists for the powerful feelings we encountered," he remarked. "Over the past four Africa Cup of Nations events, Senegal has advanced to three finals and claimed two continental titles. We earned this outcome legitimately. It stems from the dedication of a whole nation pouring everything into it. We merit the status of African champions based on our performances."

The manager and Gueye appeared before a banner reading "Champions of Africa". Anticipation surrounds the possibility that Senegal could display the Cup of Nations prize to fans at the Stade de France before kick-off, which might intensify the friction with Morocco regarding their demonstration and the Appeals Boards verdict.