The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has condemned what it described as “unacceptable behavior” exhibited by some players and officials of the Senegalese national team during the final match of the Africa Cup of Nations “Morocco 2025,” held on Sunday evening in Rabat between the Moroccan and Senegalese teams.
In an official statement, CAF firmly rejected any actions that fall outside the spirit of sportsmanship, especially those that target the officiating crew or organizing bodies, emphasizing that respect for the rules remains fundamental in African competitions.
CAF has indicated that it has begun reviewing all recorded footage from the match and will present the case to the relevant committees to impose necessary disciplinary measures against anyone found implicated in these behaviors.
Tensions erupted following the referee’s decision, after consulting video technology, to award a penalty to the Moroccan team in stoppage time of the second half. This decision prompted Senegalese coach Pape Thiaw to instruct his players not to continue the match, further escalating tensions on the field.
This situation spilled over into the stands, where Senegalese fans expressed their anger, with some spectators attempting to storm the pitch, prompting security personnel to intervene to restore order after acts of vandalism targeted the advertising boards.
After calm was restored and the match resumed, Brahim Diaz missed the Moroccan penalty before the game moved into extra time, during which the Senegalese team scored a decisive goal in the 94th minute by Bamba Dieng, securing the “Lions of Teranga” their second title in the history of the competition.
