The African Football Confederation (CAF) Discipline Committee has imposed sanctions, including suspensions and fines, on Senegal and Morocco following the incidents that marred the Africa Cup of Nations final between the two teams in Rabat this month. The CAF Disciplinary Committee rejected the protest submitted by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. The match, held on January 18, was halted for about 15 minutes at the end of regular time after Senegalese players threatened to walk off the pitch when a goal in their favor was disallowed, only for a penalty to be awarded to Morocco. The Senegalese players then returned to the pitch at the request of their star, Sadio Mané, and after Edouard Mendy's penalty was missed by Idrissa Gueye, Senegal scored in extra time to win the title. The match was also marked by disturbances by Senegalese fans and an incident where Moroccan players and ball boys hid the towels of Senegal's goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy. In a statement published in the early hours of Thursday, the continental confederation said: 'The CAF Disciplinary Committee rejected the protest lodged by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation regarding what it considered violations by the Senegalese Football Federation of Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, concerning the final for the Morocco 2025 edition.' CAF suspended Senegal's head coach Aliou Cissé for five official CAF matches due to his unsporting behavior, for violating the principles of fair play and integrity, and for bringing the game into disrepute. The awarding of a penalty to Morocco at the end of regular time, following the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to disallow a Senegal goal, led to several 'Teranga Lions' players leaving the pitch before returning at the behest of their captain, Sadio Mané. The tension spilled into the stands, where some Senegalese fans tried to invade the pitch for about 15 minutes, even as Idrissa Gueye was preparing to take the penalty he ultimately missed. In extra time, Aliou Cissé scored the winning goal for Senegal with a rocket-like strike. Eighteen Senegalese fans who were detained for 'hooliganism' during the match will be tried, with their next session set for January 29. They were also fined $100,000. Senegalese players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaïla Sarr were each suspended for two official matches for unsporting behavior towards the referee. A source close to the committee told AFP that the suspensions for the players and Senegal's coach will not apply to the upcoming World Cup, for which both teams qualified, but will be specific to CAF competitions only. The source said: 'The suspension sanctions will be applied in matches organized by the African confederation, which means they will apply during the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which are expected to start in the September international break.' The Senegalese federation was fined $300,000 'for the improper conduct of its supporters, which harmed the image of the game and violated the principles of fair play and integrity,' and a further $300,000 'for the unsporting conduct of its players and technical staff, which also harmed the image of the game and violated the principles of fair play, loyalty and integrity.' As for Morocco, captain Achraf Hakimi was suspended for two official matches, 'with the suspension of one of these matches deferred for one year from the date of the decision,' for unsporting behavior related to the incident with Senegal's goalkeeper's towels. His teammate, Ismaila Sabri, was suspended for three official matches for unsporting behavior and fined $100,000. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation was fined $200,000 'for the improper conduct of ball boys on the field during the match in question,' and $100,000 'for the improper conduct of players and technical staff who entered the VAR review area and obstructed the referee's work, in violation of the principles of fair play and integrity enshrined in Articles 82 and 83 of the Disciplinary Code.' The final match was marked by high tension.
