FIFA President Gianni Infantino has criticised the actions of some Senegalese players, supporters, and members of the technical crew over what he described as “unacceptable scenes” that overshadowed Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final.
In a statement sent to AFP, Infantino condemned the decision of several Senegal players to walk off the pitch in protest after a penalty was awarded to Morocco late in the match.
“We strongly condemn the behaviour of some supporters, as well as some Senegalese players and technical staff. Leaving the field of play in this manner is unacceptable,” Infantino said, adding that violence has no place in football.
The AFCON final was disrupted deep into injury time with the score level at 0–0, when Morocco were awarded a penalty following a VAR review for a foul on Brahim Diaz. Most of the Senegalese players reacted angrily and temporarily left the pitch.
Senegal captain and former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane remained on the field and appealed to his teammates to return for the penalty kick.
The Senegal side was already aggrieved after having a goal disallowed moments earlier for what appeared to be a soft foul.
Tensions also spilled into the stands, where some Senegal supporters attempted to enter the pitch and clashed with security officials.
The match was delayed for nearly 20 minutes before Diaz eventually took the penalty, but his attempted panenka was saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Pape Gueye later scored a decisive goal in the fourth minute of extra time, securing a 1–0 victory for Senegal.
While congratulating Morocco for an impressive tournament performance as runners-up and hosts — ahead of their role as co-hosts of the 2030 FIFA World Cup — Infantino stressed that teams must respect the decisions of match officials.
“We must always respect the decisions taken by match officials, both on and off the field,” he said, noting that failure to do so threatens the very foundation of the game.
Infantino also warned that such scenes send the wrong message to fans worldwide and emphasised the responsibility of players and teams to set a positive example.
“The ugly scenes witnessed today must be condemned and must never happen again,” he stated, expressing confidence that CAF’s disciplinary bodies would take appropriate action.