King Mohammed VI has granted a royal pardon to the Senegalese football supporters imprisoned for their part in the violence that marred January’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, a gesture timed for the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha that aims to heal a diplomatic wound. The Moroccan royal court announced the decision on Saturday, citing the “age-old fraternal ties” between the two nations and the kingdom’s cherished values of clemency and tolerance.

The chaotic final saw Senegal defeat Morocco 1-0, but the victory on the pitch was swiftly overshadowed by ugly scenes: after a disallowed Senegalese goal and a last-gasp penalty awarded to Morocco, enraged Senegalese fans attempted to invade the pitch and hurled projectiles. Moroccan courts later sentenced 18 supporters to prison terms; 14 or 15 remained in custody until the royal intervention. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) subsequently awarded the title to Morocco on appeal, a decision that Senegal is contesting before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal expressed his “sincerest thanks” to the Moroccan monarch and was on the tarmac at Dakar’s airport to greet the returning supporters in the early hours of Sunday. His words, however, carried a diplomatic edge: he hailed the national team as “two-time African champions,” a pointed reminder that Dakar considers the continental crown rightfully theirs. From Cairo, CAF president Patrice Motsepe praised the pardon as an act of humanity that reaffirms football’s capacity to unite across ethnic and religious divides.

Underpinning the football drama lies a deep bilateral relationship. Morocco and Senegal have long backed each other’s ambitions, from Senegalese support for Morocco’s 2010 World Cup bid to extensive economic and cultural ties. The royal pardon thus serves a dual purpose: it mends fences after an acute moment of popular anger, while reasserting Rabat’s self-image as a benevolent regional power.

As the fans settle back home, the legal contest grinds on. Observers in Madrid note, pointedly, that only Senegalese supporters were jailed, an asymmetry unlikely to escape the CAS arbitrators. The forthcoming ruling will test whether the careful choreography of royal mercy and presidential gratitude can truly draw a line under the animosity of that January night, or whether the bad blood will linger, colouring one of Africa’s most important bilateral partnerships.