Senegal players to be punished after sensational AFCON final walk-off

Martin Macdonald

• 19 Jan 2026 07:15 CST
• 4 min read

Nieuws

Senegal players and officials will be punished after the team walked off the pitch in protest during the Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco.

Deep into injury time in the second period, the host nation, Morocco, were awarded a controversial penalty after Brahim Diaz went down inside the box following a pull from El Hadji Malick Diouf. It was soft in the eyes of many and although the Real Madrid man went down rather easily, he was being held by the defender.

Everyone of a Senegal persuasion was outraged. The players surrounded the referee in protest and the small batch of away supporters in the corner of the stadium even had to be subdued by riot police after threatening to enter the pitch.

Senegal manager Pape Thiaw took things one step further, though, as he actually ordered his players to leave the pitch. Most of of them did so, with some even going back into the changing room.

The drama of the Africa Cup of Nations final continued after the final whistle, with Moroccan journalists walking out of Senegal boss Pape Thiaw’s press conference. 🫣 pic.twitter.com/rRLk2Lg2Eg

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 19, 2026

Talisman Sadio Mane kept the peace and eventually convinced his team-mates to return and a good job he did, too, as Diaz missed the subsequent penalty with a failed Panenka before Senegal went on to win the final 1-0 after a solitary goal scored in extra-time.

The celebrations went long into the night, but the players and officials wake up today to the news of punishment by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

"The Confederation Africaine de Football ("CAF") 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 last night," the governing body said in a statement.

"CAF strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour which occurs during matches, especially those targeting the refereeing team or match organisers.

"CAF is reviewing all footage and will refer the matter to competent bodies for appropriate action to be taken against those found guilty."

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, meanwhile, said:

"We also witnessed unacceptable scenes on the field and in the stands - we strongly condemn the behaviour of some supporters as well as some Senegalese players and technical staff members.

"It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right.

"We must always respect the decisions taken by the match officials on and off the field of play. Teams must compete on the pitch and within the Laws of the Game, because anything less puts the very essence of football at risk."

Why Mane brought his team-mates back

Mane has since revealed why he acted to bring his team-mates back on to the field of play.

“When they decided to go out and not play, I stayed and asked some people, ‘What do you think about this? Is it a good idea or not?’ Then I decided to go and bring everyone back to the pitch. I think it is the best thing to do," the former Liverpool star told reporters.

“Because this is just football, I think the referee sometimes can make mistakes. People around the world are watching. It could be a penalty or not, but that is not the most important thing. What matters is respecting the game. It is not fair to stop a match like this.”

The winning goal from Pape Gueye's secured Senegal's second-ever AFCON title.

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