Senegal Manager Handed Five Match Ban After AFCON Final Walk-Off

- by Olatunji Johnson

The African champions face heavy fines as sanctions are handed down for the chaotic scenes that marred their victory over Morocco.

Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph has been officially overshadowed by a major disciplinary ruling, with manager Pape Thiaw handed a five-match ban for his role in the chaotic final.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) sanctioned Thiaw for “unsporting conduct” and “bringing the game into disrepute” after he instructed his players to leave the pitch in protest of a late penalty awarded to hosts Morocco in normal time. The controversial walk-off caused a 17-minute delay before the players returned, with Morocco’s Brahim Diaz subsequently missing the spot-kick. Senegal went on to win the title in extra time.

Thiaw received a five-match ban—applicable only to CAF competitions—and a $100,000 fine. Senegal’s football federation was also hit with a total fine of $615,000, while forwards Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr earned two-match bans.

Morocco did not escape punishment, with forward Ismael Saibari receiving a three-match ban and defender Achraf Hakimi a two-match suspension. However, CAF dismissed Morocco’s formal appeal to overturn the match result.

The sanctions cast a shadow over Senegal’s second AFCON title in three tournaments, a victory now remembered as much for its late drama as its on-field controversy.

In the aftermath, Senegal’s star Sadio Mane reflected on the incident with regret. “Football is something special, the world was watching… I think it’s really bad,” he said. “The good thing is that we came back and we played the game.”

The “Lions of Teranga” will now aim to channel their championship momentum into a challenging World Cup group featuring France and Norway, but they will do so without their manager on the touchline for their next five continental matches.

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