Senegal and Morocco handed fines and bans after AFCON final farce

African football’s governing body has issued fines worth more than $1m and banned Senegal’s coach and Senegalese and Moroccan players over a shambolic African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final that involved a walk-off protest by one of the teams, fans trying to storm the field and fights among journalists.

The bans, announced on Thursday, apply only to African games and not the World Cup, which kicks off in June and which Senegal and Morocco have both qualified for.

The sanctions announced by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) include fines totalling $615,000 for the Senegalese Football Federation and $315,000 for the Royal Moroccan Football Federation for unsporting and improper conduct by their players, coaching staff and supporters, among other offences.

At the January 18 AFCON finale, Senegal’s players walked off the pitch, led by coach Pape Thiaw, in protest against a penalty awarded late in regulation time to the hosts, Morocco. Thiaw, who last week defended his side’s actions, was banned for five African games and given a fine of $100,000 for bringing the game into disrepute, the African confederation said.

The game restarted after a delay of about 15 minutes. 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’s and Senegal’s players scuffling on the sidelines, reporters from the two countries fighting in media areas and a bizarre sequence in which Moroccan ball boys tried to seize a towel being used by Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy – in an apparent bid to distract him and help their team win the continental title.

That behaviour by the home team’s ball boys led to a $200,000 fine for Morocco’s federation, which will be a cohost of the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal and has come under scrutiny for the chaotic African final.

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 chaotic African final.

Morocco was hoping to host the 2030 World Cup final in Casablanca at the Hassan II Stadium, set to be the largest football arena in the world with a capacity of 115,000 people after its planned completion in 2028. But this month’s African final reflected badly on it.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui said the game had given African football a “shameful” image.

Senegalese 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 behaviour.

CAF dismissed an appeal by Morocco to have the result cancelled and Morocco declared the winner because of the Senegalese walk-off.

The game even strained diplomatic ties between Senegal and Morocco, prompting government officials in both nations to pledge to stay friends and call for calm. In Morocco, rights groups denounced what they called hate speech targeting sub-Saharan African residents in the country.

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said on an investment-related trip to Morocco days after the game that the reaction to it should be seen as “emotional outbursts produced by fervour and not as political or cultural rifts”.

In a further blow to Morocco’s 2030 FIFA World Cup ambitions, the president of Spain’s football federation declared on Tuesday that his country would be hosting the final.

FIFA, who will have the deciding say, have yet to confirm where the showpiece match of the tournament will be held.