Senegal manager Pape Thiaw has been handed a substantial ban of five games following the tumultuous events that unfolded during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco earlier this month. The match, which took place on January 18 in Rabat, saw Senegal emerge victorious with a narrow 1-0 win. However, the game was marred by chaos when Senegal’s players left the field in protest after Morocco was awarded a controversial stoppage-time penalty.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) took decisive action against Thiaw, imposing a fine of $100,000 (£72,000) on him for his “unsporting conduct” and for “bringing the game into disrepute.” Thiaw’s decision to instruct his players to leave the pitch came after he expressed his strong dissatisfaction with the referee’s earlier call, which saw a foul awarded against Senegal and a penalty given to Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi.
The match experienced significant delays, lasting approximately 17 minutes, as Thiaw’s actions led to considerable confusion and frustration on the pitch. It was only after Senegal star Sadio Mane managed to persuade his teammates to return to the game that play resumed. The penalty taken by Brahim Diaz, delivered in a Panenka style, was saved by Senegal’s goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Following this, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala promptly signaled the end of the match, leading to Senegal’s triumph.
The fallout from the match did not end there; two Senegalese forwards, Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr, received two-match bans for showing “unsporting behaviour towards the referee.” In addition, the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) faced a total fine of $615,000 (£444,000), attributing a portion of this penalty to the misbehavior exhibited by Senegal’s players and technical staff, while another $300,000 penalty related to the misconduct of its supporters.
To add to the disciplinary actions, Morocco forward Ismael Saibari was issued a three-match ban accompanied by a $100,000 fine. Defender Hakimi received a two-match ban, with one game suspended for 12 months, reflecting the seriousness with which Caf approaches acts of misconduct.
In a surprising turn, a request from Morocco’s football federation (FRMF) to have the match result overturned due to Senegal’s players departing the field was denied by Caf’s disciplinary committee, cementing Senegal’s place in history with yet another Afcon victory. It is notable that while these sanctions impact Caf competitions exclusively, they will not interfere with preparations for the upcoming World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The FSF was penalized even further, receiving a $600,000 (£434,000) fine for breaches of the disciplinary code, with half of that sum associated with the unsporting behaviour of both Senegal’s players and technical staff. Tensions were palpable at the venue as several Teranga Lions supporters became embroiled in confrontations with security personnel following the contentious penalty award, with multiple fans attempting to storm the pitch.
Moreover, Senegal’s financial penalties continued with an additional $15,000 fine levied after the team accrued five yellow cards during the final match, highlighting the uncharacteristic discipline issues faced by the squad in such a crucial game.
On the other side of the controversy, the FRMF was also fined a total of $200,000 (£144,000) due to “inappropriate behaviour” from ball boys at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, who were caught attempting to steal towels from goalkeeper Mendy. Furthermore, the FRMF faced additional fines of $100,000 and $15,000 for obstructing referee Ndala’s work during the video assistant referee review process and for the use of lasers by its supporters, respectively.
These sanctions are part of a broader trend, as Algeria’s football federation (Faf) had recently been fined $100,000 for violations, including offensive gestures toward match officials during their quarter-final exit against Nigeria. This ongoing scrutiny and stricter enforcement of regulations highlight Caf’s commitment to maintaining standards and decorum within African football, ensuring that the focus remains on the players’ talent and sportsmanship rather than off-field distractions and controversies.
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