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Morocco Goes Against CAF and Says Will Appeal Over Incidents in AFCON Final
Morocco to appeal CAF sanctions after incidents in the Africa Cup of Nations final
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) announced this Tuesday that it will appeal the sanctions imposed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following the serious incidents that occurred in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, held on January 18 in Rabat.
In a statement published on its X account, the FRMF stated that the decisions of the CAF Disciplinary Committee “are not proportional to the severity and seriousness” of the events that took place during the match.
Controversial final: Senegal wins in extra time
The match between Morocco and Senegal ended with a 1-0 victory for Senegal in extra time, thanks to a goal by Pape Gueye. The FRMF specifically criticized the temporary abandonment of the field by Senegal in protest over a penalty awarded to Morocco in the final minutes of regulation, which Brahim Díaz missed.
Additionally, there were reports of Senegalese fans invading the pitch, causing chaos and disturbances, as well as attempts by Moroccan ball boys and players to grab the goalkeeper’s towel to prevent him from drying his gloves.
Sanctions and fines
On January 29, CAF dismissed Morocco’s request to strip Senegal of the championship title but suspended Senegal’s coach, Pape Thiaw, for five matches for encouraging his team to leave the field.
For Morocco, star player Achraf Hakimi was suspended for two matches (one of them deferred for one year) for “unsportsmanlike behavior,” and forward Ismael Sabari was sanctioned for three matches for the same reason.
CAF fined Senegal $615,000 for “inappropriate fan behavior,” “unsportsmanlike conduct by players and staff,” and general team disciplinary violations. Morocco received $315,000 in fines for the actions of ball boys, players, staff, and fans, including the use of laser pointers during the match.
While the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) announced it will not appeal the sanctions, the FRMF made it clear that it will challenge the measures imposed against Morocco.
