The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has suspended Senegal head coach, Pape Thiaw, following a disciplinary review of the dramatic scenes that disrupted Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Rabat.
Senegal defeated host nation Morocco 1–0 after extra time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium to secure their second continental title. However, the historic victory was overshadowed by Thiaw’s decision to instruct his players to leave the pitch in protest.
CAF said the coach’s actions amounted to a serious misconduct that threatened the integrity of the competition.
The incident occurred deep into second-half stoppage time when referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a late penalty after a VAR review. The decision came shortly after a Senegal goal had been ruled out, sparking anger on the Senegal bench.
In response, Thiaw ordered his players to walk off the field, raising concerns that the final could be abandoned or forfeited. The match was delayed for almost 20 minutes as officials worked to restore calm.
Senegal captain Sadio Mane eventually helped resolve the situation by convincing his teammates to return to the pitch and allow play to resume.
The match continued, with Senegal sealing victory in extra time thanks to a decisive goal from Pape Gueye. However, CAF moved quickly after the final whistle to take disciplinary action against the technical crew.
In a statement, CAF’s disciplinary committee stressed that protests and walk-offs, regardless of refereeing decisions, are unacceptable in professional football.
“Such actions undermine the principles of fair play and the integrity of CAF competitions,” the committee stated.
Thiaw later admitted he acted in anger, expressing remorse and acknowledging that emotions overwhelmed him during the tense conclusion to the final.
AFCON Madness on another level