Senegal, Morocco fined after African Cup final chaos
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has been banned for five games and fined $100,000 and Senegalese and Moroccan players also received suspensions following a walk-off during a chaotic African Cup of Nations final. The sanctions announced Wednesday by the Confederation of African Football included fines totaling $615,000 for the Senegalese soccer federation and $315,000 for the Morocco federation for unsporting and improper conduct by their players, coaching staff and supporters, among other offenses. The January 23 African soccer showpiece was marred by Senegal players walking off led by Thiaw in protest against a late penalty awarded to host Morocco.
The game restarted after a delay, Morocco missed the penalty, and Senegal won the African title 1-0 after extra time. The heated final in Rabat also saw supporters trying to storm the field, Morocco and Senegal players scuffling on the sidelines, reporters from the two countries fighting in press areas, and a bizarre sequence where Moroccan ball boys attempted to seize a towel being used by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
That behaviour by the home team’s ball boys led to a $200,000 fine for Morocco’s federation, which will be a co-host of the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal and has come under scrutiny for the shambolic African final. Senegal players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr were banned for two African games, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi was also banned for two games, with one suspended, and Morocco’s Ismael Saibari was banned for three games and fined $100,000 for unsporting behavior. The African soccer body dismissed an appeal by Morocco to have the result canceled and Morocco declared the winner because of the Senegalese walk-off.
