Morocco’s football federation has announced it will appeal disciplinary sanctions imposed by the Confederation of African Football following last month’s chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal. The hosts lost the final 1–0 after extra time in a match that was marred by prolonged stoppages and disorder both on and off the pitch.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation, known as FRMF, said on Tuesday that it considers the penalties handed down by CAF to be disproportionate to the incidents that occurred during the final on January 18. The match was overshadowed by a 14-minute interruption after Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest over a Video Assistant Referee decision late in regular time.
The situation escalated as Senegal supporters invaded the pitch, leading to confrontations involving players, officials, and members of the coaching staff. Security personnel were forced to intervene before play could resume, with the incident drawing widespread criticism and scrutiny from CAF’s disciplinary bodies.
Following an investigation, CAF’s Disciplinary Committee issued several sanctions. Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw was handed a five-match ban and fined $100,000 after being found guilty of instructing his players to leave the field of play following the disallowed goal. CAF ruled that his actions contributed significantly to the breakdown of order during the match.
In addition, the Senegalese Football Federation was fined $615,000 for the conduct of its players and supporters. CAF cited unsporting behaviour and failure to control fans as major factors in the decision. Senegal players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr were each given two-match suspensions for actions deemed to be unsporting and directed at the match officials.
Morocco were also sanctioned despite their appeal to have the result of the final overturned being rejected. CAF imposed fines totalling $315,000 on the hosts, citing misconduct by Moroccan players, officials, and supporters during the final.
According to CAF, the Moroccan sanctions related to several incidents, including the use of laser pointers aimed at players and alleged improper interference in the Video Assistant Referee area. The governing body said these actions breached competition regulations and contributed to the disorder surrounding the final.
Two Moroccan players were also punished individually. Captain Achraf Hakimi received a two-match suspension, with one of those matches suspended for a year, while Ismael Saibari was banned for three matches. Both players were penalised for attempting to remove Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towel during heavy rain, an act CAF described as unsporting conduct.
In a statement, the FRMF said it would formally challenge the rulings to protect its legal rights and contest what it sees as an unfair assessment of responsibility. The federation argued that the withdrawal of Senegalese players and the behaviour of their supporters were not sufficiently taken into account when the sanctions were determined.
“The FRMF will appeal the decisions in order to safeguard all rights guaranteed by law,” the statement said. The federation added that it believes the scale of the punishments does not accurately reflect the seriousness and gravity of each party’s actions during the final.
The decision to appeal further prolongs the fallout from a tournament that Morocco had hoped would end in celebration on home soil. Instead, the final has become one of the most controversial in recent AFCON history, with disciplinary measures continuing to dominate discussion weeks after the competition ended.
CAF, however, has defended its handling of the situation and the sanctions imposed. The continental body described the tournament as a success overall, pointing to record revenues and high global viewership despite the controversy surrounding the final match.
CAF also confirmed that all sanctions will apply across its competitions, meaning the suspensions and fines will have implications beyond the AFCON final itself. The confirmation has further strained relations between CAF and the Moroccan federation as the appeals process begins.
As the case moves forward, attention will remain on whether CAF’s appeals bodies will uphold or amend the disciplinary decisions. For now, the dispute has cast a shadow over the conclusion of the tournament and left Morocco’s AFCON campaign ending not with silverware, but with legal and disciplinary challenges still unresolved.
