Cairo (Egypt) [Africa], January 31 (HBTV): The Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) has condemned what it described as ‘unacceptable behaviour’ by some players and officials during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 final between hosts Morocco and Senegal in Rabat.
Senegal secured their second AFCON title with a 1–0 victory over Morocco on Sunday, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal in the 94th minute of extra time. According to Goal.com, the goal came after a pass from Idrissa Gueye, which Pape finished with a left-footed strike past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Controversy erupted during extra time when Morocco were awarded a late penalty, prompting Senegal players and officials to walk off the pitch in protest. The stoppage lasted around 14 minutes before play resumed. Morocco’s Brahim Diaz saw his penalty saved, after which Senegal went on to score the winning goal. Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw was among those involved in the walkout.
In a statement, CAF said, ‘The Confederation Africaine de Football condemns the unacceptable behaviour of some players and officials during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 final between Morocco and Senegal in Rabat.’ It added that CAF ‘strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour which occurs during matches, especially those targeting the refereeing team or match organisers’, and said it was reviewing all available footage before referring the matter to the relevant bodies for possible disciplinary action.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino also criticised the incident in a post on Instagram, saying, ‘It is the responsibility of teams and players to act responsibly and set the right example for fans in the stadiums and millions watching around the world. The ugly scenes witnessed today must be condemned and never repeated. They have no place in football.’
Responding to the criticism, Thiaw later issued what he described as an ‘apology to football’. ‘We should not have reacted like that, but it’s done. We apologise to football. After reflection, I really did not appreciate telling my players to leave the pitch. Sometimes we react in the heat of the moment,’ he said, adding that while there were concerns over refereeing decisions, mistakes were part of the game and had to be accepted. (ANI)