AFCON 2025 Final: CAF Confirms Senegal as Champions, Slaps Heavy Sanctions on Senegal and Morocco
CAF fines both teams, bans coaches and players, and dismisses Morocco’s appeal following chaotic final
- CAF confirms Senegal as AFCON 2025 champions and rejects Morocco’s appeal to overturn the result
- Senegal fined $615,000; head coach Pape Thiaw suspended five matches, while two players receive two-match bans each
- Morocco fined $415,000; midfielder Ismail Saibari and captain Achraf Hakimi receive multi-match suspensions following misconduct in the final
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has imposed heavy sanctions on Senegal and Morocco following a series of disciplinary breaches during the dramatic AFCON 2025 final, while formally confirming Senegal as champions of the tournament.
In a statement issued on Thursday, January 29, 2026, CAF announced fines totalling $615,000 against Senegal. The penalties include $300,000 for supporters’ misconduct, another $300,000 for the behaviour of players and officials, and $15,000 for the accumulation of five yellow cards during the final.
Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw was hit with a five-match suspension from all CAF competitions and fined $100,000 for conduct deemed to have brought the game into disrepute.
Two Senegalese players, Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr, were also punished, each receiving a two-match suspension for unsporting conduct towards the match referee.
Host nation Morocco was similarly sanctioned, with fines amounting to $415,000. CAF cited $200,000 for misconduct by stadium ball boys, $100,000 for misbehaviour by players and officials, and $15,000 for fans’ use of laser pointers during the match.
Moroccan midfielder Ismail Saibari was fined $100,000 and handed a three-match CAF suspension, while captain Achraf Hakimi received a two-match ban alongside a one-year suspension.
CAF also dismissed Morocco’s appeal challenging the outcome of the final. The hosts had petitioned for Senegal to be stripped of the title, arguing that the Senegalese team abandoned the match after walking off the pitch. CAF ruled that the appeal lacked merit.
With the appeal rejected, Senegal has officially been confirmed as AFCON 2025 champions, bringing the tournament to a close under strict disciplinary enforcement by Africa’s football governing body.
The final descended into chaos in the closing moments of regulation time after Morocco were awarded a late penalty following a clash in the box involving Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Díaz.
After an extended VAR review, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala pointed to the spot, triggering furious protests from Senegal’s players and technical bench. An enraged Pape Thiaw instructed his players to leave the pitch in protest.
Senegal captain Sadio Mané attempted to calm the situation, urging his teammates as they moved toward the tunnel. While some players hesitated, they eventually followed, as tensions continued to escalate inside the stadium.
