Senegal Coach Pape Thiaw Suspended and Fined After Final Disruption

Senegal’s head coach, Pape Thiaw, has been suspended for five matches and fined $100,000 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following incidents during the Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco. Thiaw instructed his players to leave the pitch in protest after a goal was disallowed, contributing to a chaotic conclusion to the match, which Senegal ultimately won.

The disciplinary actions announced on January 29 also included a hefty fine of $615,000 imposed on the Senegalese Football Federation due to the team’s unsporting conduct and the behavior of their fans. In addition, players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr received suspensions of two matches each for unsporting behavior directed at the referee during the final.

CAF’s Disciplinary Committee dismissed Morocco’s request to overturn the match result, which had been delayed by 14 minutes when Senegal’s players left the field. The request came after Morocco was awarded a penalty shortly after the incident, although the penalty taken by Brahim Diaz was missed. Senegal secured their victory with an extra-time goal from Pape Gueye.

Additional Sanctions and Incidents

Morocco also faced sanctions following the match, with total fines amounting to $315,000. These penalties were attributed to the conduct of the ball boys, the behavior of players and staff in the Video Assistant Review area, and the use of lasers by supporters during the game.

Morocco’s captain, Achraf Hakimi, was suspended for two matches, with one additional match suspended for a year due to his involvement in unsporting conduct. Teammate Ismael Saibari received a three-match suspension for similar reasons, specifically for attempting to remove the towel of Senegal’s goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, amidst heavy rain in Rabat.

The tumultuous events at the final overshadowed what had been a successful Africa Cup of Nations, which generated record revenues for CAF. As the governing body navigates through these disciplinary actions, the focus will now shift to how these sanctions will impact both Senegal and Morocco in future competitions.