The Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) announced on Tuesday that it would appeal against disciplinary rulings by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over last month’s chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, which the home team lost 1-0 after extra time.
FRMF criticized the sanctions as disproportionate to the «gravity and seriousness» of the incidents during the January 18 match, which was overshadowed by a 14-minute stoppage after Senegalese players staged a walk-off, a pitch invasion by their fans and confrontations involving players and staff.
CAF’s disciplinary committee handed Senegalese coach Pape Thiaw a five-match ban and fined him $100,000 (£82,000) after ordering his team to leave the field following a VAR decision to disallow a goal late in regular time.
The Senegal Football Federation were fined $615,000 (£508,000) for the conduct of their players and supporters, with Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr receiving two-match bans for unsportsmanlike behavior directed at the referee.
Morocco, whose request to overturn the match result was rejected by CAF, were also hit with sanctions totaling $315,000 (£260,000).
The penalties relate to what CAF described as misconduct by Moroccan players, staff and supporters, including the use of laser pointers and inappropriate intervention in the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) area.
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Captain Achraf Hakimi was handed a two-match ban, one of which was for a year, while Ismael Saibari was suspended for three matches, with both players penalized for their attempt to rip the towel off Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy during heavy rain.
“The FRMF will appeal the decisions to protect all rights guaranteed by law,” said a statement from the federation, which specifically cited “the withdrawal of Senegalese players and the behavior of their supporters” during the final as a reason to contest the rulings.
However, CAF described the tournament as an overall success, highlighting record revenues despite the controversy surrounding the final.
CAF confirmed the sanctions will apply to its competitions, further worsening the conclusion to what Morocco had hoped would be a triumphant campaign on home soil.
Published on February 3, 2026
