Senegal receive £1 million fine after AFCON final chaos

Martin Macdonald

30 Jan 2026 05:30 CST
4 min read

Senegal officials, players, and the Football Association have received fines totalling £1 million for their conduct during the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Article continues under the video

The AFCON final was one of the most chaotic in history, as hosts Morocco took on Senegal in the middle of January.

Both nations were looking to claim just their second-ever AFCON victory.

Deep into injury time in the second period, 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.

Senegal’s win in the #AFCON25 final will be remembered for their decision to walk off during the game after a controversial penalty decision. Here’s how it unfolded. pic.twitter.com/kw1rGxQCTn
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 19, 2026

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 apparently ordered his players to leave the pitch. Most of of them did so, with some even going back into the changing room.

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 Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the next day that every player and official involved in the walkout would be punished for their actions.

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."

Fines dished out

Thiaw has been given a five-match ban and fined £72,000 by the The Confederation of African Football (Caf).

Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr have each received two-match bans for "unsporting behaviour towards the referee."

The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) was fined a total of £444,000.

Morocco weren't innocent in the melee, as Ismaeil Saibari has been given a three-match ban and fined £72,000, while Paris Saint-Germain defender Hakimi has been given a two-match ban, with one game suspended for 12 months..

Crucially, none of the bans for the aforementioned players and Senegal coach Thiaw will be enforced at the World Cup as they are bans for CAF competitions only.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store