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Hands Thiaw Five Games Suspension with $100,000 Fine for Withdrawing Players from Field
- Safiu Kehinde
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has slammed heavy fines and lengthy suspensions on both Senegalese and Moroccan players over their conduct at the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
This was contained in a statement issued on the African football governing body’s official website on Thursday.
Having concluded its investigation on the series of misconducts observed during the tense and dramatic final between both countries at Rabat earlier this month, CAF in the statement started its disciplinary action against Senegalese coach, Pape Thiaw, who was handed five games suspension with $100,000 fine.
NPO Reported that Thiaw had in the final minutes of the 90-minute regular time ordered his players to walkout of the pitch following a penalty award to Morocco by the referee.
The dramatic moment occurred after Real Madrid and Morocco’s talisman, Brahim Diaz, was fouled during a corner kick take in the 98th minute.
The referee who shrugged off initial protest by Senegalese player over their disallowed goal few minutes before the penalty incident was forced to consult the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) after being challenged by Diaz who made the penalty call.
An enraged Thiaw and couple of Senegalese players had protested the decision to award the penalty.
At the heat of the moment, the Teranga Lions coach ordered his team to walk out of the pitch, delaying the match for over 10 minutes before they were ushered back to the pitch by former Liverpool man, Sadio Mane.
While Thiaw’s action had largely dominated the topic of discourse, the conducts of some Senegalese players were however not unnoticed by CAF.
Iliman Ndaiye and Ismaila Sarr were both handed two games suspension respectively over unsporting behaviour towards the referee.
The Moroccans would also not go unscathed by CAF as team’s captain, Achraf Hakimi was handed two official CAF matches ban for his unsporting behaviour.
In the same vein, his teammate, Ismaël Saibari, was slammed with three matches ban and $100,000 for his unsporting behaviour.
While CAF did not specify actual incidents which prompted the decision against the players, Hakimi’s suspension likely emanated from a video showing him throwing the towel of Senegalese goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, to the stand.
Saibari, on the hand, tend to be punished for his obstruction of Senegal’s 2nd choice goalkeeper, Yehvann Diouf, from giving Mendy his towel.
Video shared on X showed Saibari standing in front of Diouf who clutched Mendy’s towel in his hands to avoid being stolen by Morocco’s ball boys and officials.
Speaking of the ball boys’ antics of stealing opposition goalkeeper’s towels, which came to the limelight during Morocco’s semi-final match against Nigeria as well as at the final, Diouf suffered great ordeal in the hands of the ball boys as he kept guard of the towel.
Video showed the reserve goalkeeper being assaulted and dragged over his refusal to let go of the towel.
At a point, he was chased round the field by the ball boys and officials.
CAF vented its anger on the Moroccan Football Federation as they were slammed $200,000 fine for the conduct of the ball boys.
The Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) was also fined $100,000 for the improper conduct of their National Team players and technical staff, who invaded the VAR review area and obstructed the referee’s work.
This, according to CAF, violation of the principles of fair play and integrity, as stated in Articles 82 and 83 of its Disciplinary Code.
The Moroccan football federation was also fined $15,000 for the use of lasers by its supporters during the final match.
In the same vein, the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) also had the fair share of fines from CAF.
They were slammed $300,000 for the improper conduct of its supporters, which brought the game into disrepute in violation of the CAF Disciplinary Code principles of fair play and integrity.
Another $300,000 fine was issued on the federation for the unsporting conduct of their players and technical staff.
Finally, a $15,000 fine was slammed on the FSF for the misconduct of its National Team due to five of its players having received cautions.