The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided to take action against both Senegal and Morocco, the host country, due to Chaos that occurred during the final match of the TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 in Rabat.
CAF’s Disciplinary Board announced that the federations, along with players and officials from both teams, will face consequences for breaking the CAF Disciplinary Code during and after the game.
In a very close final, Senegal won against Morocco with a score of 1-0 after extra time. But the match had some issues like protests, fights on the field, and problems with the crowd, especially after a controversial Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decision near the end of the game.
Senegal’s head coach, Pape Bouna Thiaw, received a five-match suspension and a $100,000 fine for unsportsmanlike behavior and for questioning the fairness of the game. Also, Senegalese players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr got two-match suspensions for unsporting actions. The Senegalese Football Federation was fined a total of $615,000.
On the Moroccan side, defender Achraf Hakimi got a two-match suspension, with one match suspended for a year. Midfielder Ismaël Saibari received a three-match ban and a $100,000 fine. The Moroccan Football Federation was fined $315,000 because of issues with ball boys, officials and players entering the VAR area, and fans using laser pointers.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) dismissed Morocco’s complaint about Senegal. CAF said that Morocco’s complaint wasn’t valid based on the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) rules, which said Senegal didn’t follow some of the guidelines.
The match took a chaotic turn when a penalty was awarded to Morocco after a video review, leading to protests and Senegalese players temporarily walking off the field. This caused a stoppage of nearly 20 minutes in the game.
Senegal’s goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, made an impressive save against Brahim Díaz’s penalty kick. Later, Pape Gueye scored a goal in extra time, securing a historic win for Senegal.
Before any disciplinary actions were announced, FIFA President Gianni Infantino spoke out against the incidents, calling the behavior unacceptable.
He said, “We strongly condemn the actions of some supporters and the Senegalese players and staff. Leaving the field in that way is not okay. Violence has no place in our sport.”
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that the penalties imposed demonstrate their dedication to upholding discipline, fair play, and respect for referees, successfully wrapping up a challenging period of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.