Senegal officially crowned AFCON winners as CAF slams both finalists with unprecedented sanctions

• Posted on January 29, 2026January 29, 2026
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Confédération Africaine de Football has imposed sweeping and unprecedented sanctions on Senegal and Morocco following serious disciplinary breaches during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 final, while firmly rejecting Morocco’s protest against the match outcome and confirming Senegal as champions.

In a detailed statement issued after deliberations by its Disciplinary Board, CAF said both the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football and the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football, along with several players and officials, were found guilty of violating provisions of the CAF Disciplinary Code relating to fair play, integrity and conduct that brought the game into disrepute.

Senegal emerged as the most heavily sanctioned nation, with financial penalties and suspensions imposed on the team, officials and supporters following what CAF described as widespread misconduct during the final. The Disciplinary Board suspended Senegal head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw for five official CAF matches and fined him USD 100,000 for unsporting conduct deemed to have damaged the image of the game.

Two Senegalese players, Iliman Cheikh Baroy Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr, were each handed two match bans for unsporting behaviour towards the referee during the heated encounter. CAF also fined the FSF USD 300,000 for the improper conduct of Senegalese supporters and another USD 300,000 for the unsporting behaviour of the team’s players and technical staff. An additional USD 15,000 fine was imposed after five Senegal players received yellow cards in the final.

Morocco was also sanctioned following multiple breaches involving players, officials and matchday operations. CAF suspended defender Achraf Hakimi for two official CAF matches, with one of the matches suspended for a year, while midfielder Ismaël Saibari was banned for three matches and fined USD 100,000 for unsporting behaviour.

The FRMF was fined USD 200,000 over the inappropriate behaviour of stadium ball boys during the final, while a further USD 100,000 fine was imposed after Moroccan players and technical staff invaded the VAR review area and obstructed the referee’s duties. CAF also fined the Moroccan FA USD 15,000 following reports of supporters using laser devices during the match.

Beyond the disciplinary sanctions, CAF addressed a formal protest lodged by the FRMF, which argued that Senegal should be stripped of the AFCON title for allegedly abandoning the match when they walked off the pitch. The Disciplinary Board rejected the protest in its entirety, ruling that the claims were unfounded and did not breach Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations.

“This means that CAF rejected Morocco’s appeal, which argued that Senegal should be stripped of the title for abandoning the match after walking off the pitch. Hence, Senegal have officially been declared AFCON 2025 winners,” the statement said.

CAF said the decisions were taken to uphold the principles of fair play, integrity and respect for match officials, stressing that misconduct at high-profile tournaments would attract severe consequences regardless of the teams involved.

The sanctions bring a turbulent end to the 2025 AFCON, with CAF signalling a tougher stance on discipline as it seeks to protect the credibility and image of African football.