Senegals Thiaw handed five match ban following AFCON final disorder
Senegal manager Pape Thiaw has received a suspension for five matches organised by the Confederation of African Football after the turbulent Africa Cup of Nations final versus Morocco earlier this month according to Wednesdays announcement.
According to a statement from the Confederation of African Football the manager committed unsporting behaviour and damaged the reputation of the sport in the Rabat showdown on January 18 where Senegal triumphed 1 0 following additional time.
Players from Senegal including Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr who feature in the English Premier League have been given two match suspensions each due to unsporting actions directed at the match official.
The Senegal Football Federation received a penalty of 615000 dollars for multiple infractions committed during the match.
These violations encompassed the unsporting actions of their squad and coaching team which went against the Confederation of African Football disciplinary code standards of fair play loyalty and honesty.
For unsporting conduct Moroccan attacker Ismael Saibari was given a three match ban along with a 100000 dollar fine whereas team leader and defender Achraf Hakimi faces a two match ban.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation was penalised 200000 dollars over the unsuitable actions of the stadium ball assistants.
A further 100000 dollar fine was applied due to the unacceptable behaviour of squad members and coaching personnel who entered the video assistant referee zone and interfered with the duties of the official from Congo.
Another 15000 dollar sanction followed after fans supporting Morocco employed lasers to unsettle players from Senegal resulting in a combined total of 315000 dollars.
The conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations saw numerous tense moments starting late in normal play when a strike by Sarr was ruled out for a challenge on the 2025 African footballer of the year Hakimi.
Intense objections
Morocco subsequently earned a spot kick after prominent attacker Brahim Diaz suffered a foul prompting strong objections from the Senegalese side.
Broadcast footage from the event captured Thiaw signalling to his squad a move that many viewed as an instruction for the team to exit the playing area.
A large portion of the squad departed for the dressing area but key attacker Sadio Mane remained and eventually convinced his colleagues to rejoin the action allowing the game to continue.
Morocco failed to convert the extended spot kick as Diazs tame effort was stopped by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy leading to extra time where Pape Gueye netted to secure Senegals second Africa Cup of Nations crown.
As the contest paused amid the contested penalty certain individuals in Senegalese attire launched objects and briefly entered the field until authorities and security personnel stepped in.
The suspensions for Thiaw and the four squad members apply solely to Confederation of African Football fixtures and will have no bearing on the build up for Senegal and Morocco ahead of the 2026 World Cup across the United States Canada and Mexico.
Senegal competes in Group I alongside France Norway and the victors from the cross continental qualifiers featuring Bolivia Suriname and Iraq.
Morocco which in 2022 marked a milestone as the initial African or Arab nation to advance to the World Cup semi finals will take on Brazil Scotland and Haiti in Group C.
Thiaw faces exclusion from the bench for five out of the six qualifying games for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations that Senegal will play in September October and November while the involved players will sit out the initial pair.