CAF Imposes Severe Sanctions Following AFCON 2025 Final Disciplinary Violations

Jan. 29, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — Disciplinary actions has been taken by the Confédération Africaine de Football following the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final. Both the Senegalese and Moroccan football federations faced substantial monetary fines and player suspensions due to various ethical violations and crowd disturbances. Specifically, Senegal’s head coach and several key players received bans for unprofessional behavior toward officials, while Morocco was penalized for staff interference with technology and fan misconduct. Additionally, the governing body officially dismissed a formal protest submitted by Morocco regarding alleged regulatory breaches by their opponents. These sources serve as an official record of the penalties intended to uphold sportsmanship and integrity within African football.

The sanctions imposed by the CAF Disciplinary Board following the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Final stemmed from several incidents involving players, coaching staff, supporters, and stadium officials from both Senegal and Morocco,.

The specific incidents leading to these disciplinary actions included:

Incidents Involving the Senegalese National Team (FSF)

Unsporting Conduct by Leadership: Head Coach Pape Bouna Thiaw was sanctioned for unsporting conduct that violated principles of fair play and integrity, bringing the game into disrepute,.

Misconduct Towards Officials: Players Iliman Cheikh Baroy Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr were penalized specifically for unsporting behavior toward the referee,,.

General Team Misconduct: The national team was fined because five of its players received cautions during the match,. Additionally, the players and technical staff collectively engaged in unsporting conduct that violated the principles of loyalty and integrity,.

Supporter Behavior: Senegalese supporters were cited for improper conduct that brought the game into disrepute,.

Incidents Involving the Moroccan National Team (FRMF)

Interference with Match Officials: Moroccan players and technical staff invaded the VAR review area and obstructed the referee’s work, which violated Articles 82 and 83 of the CAF Disciplinary Code regarding fair play and integrity,.

Player Behavior: Players Achraf Hakimi and Ismaël Saibari were sanctioned for general unsporting behavior,,.

Stadium and Crowd Issues: The Moroccan federation was held responsible for the inappropriate behavior of the stadium’s ball boys during the match,. Additionally, Moroccan supporters were cited for the use of lasers,.

While the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) lodged a protest regarding alleged violations by Senegal (specifically Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations), this protest was rejected by the Disciplinary Board,.

The penalties imposed by the CAF Disciplinary Board following the AFCON 2025 Final show that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) faced significantly harsher financial and coaching sanctions compared to the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).

The comparison of specific penalties is detailed below:

Coaching and Staff Sanctions

Senegal: The Head Coach, Pape Bouna Thiaw, received a severe five-match suspension and a USD 100,000 fine for unsporting conduct that brought the game into disrepute.

Morocco: No specific sanctions were recorded against the Moroccan coaching staff individually, though the staff was collectively cited in a federation-level fine for invading the VAR area.

Player Suspensions and Fines

Senegal: Two players, Iliman Cheikh Baroy Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr, were each suspended for two matches for unsporting behavior toward the referee.

Morocco: Player Ismaël Saibari received a three-match suspension and a USD 100,000 fine. Achraf Hakimi was suspended for two matches, though one of those matches was suspended for one yea.

Federation Financial Penalties

The total fines levied against the Senegalese federation were nearly double those of the Moroccan federation:

Senegal (Total USD 615,000):

USD 300,000 for the improper conduct of supporters.

USD 300,000 for the unsporting conduct of players and technical staff regarding integrity and loyalty.

USD 15,000 for team misconduct (five player cautions).

Morocco (Total USD 315,000):

USD 200,000 for the inappropriate behavior of the stadium’s ball boys.

USD 100,000 for players and staff obstructing the referee and invading the VAR area.

USD 15,000 for the use of lasers by supporters.

4. Summary of Protest Outcomes

While Morocco attempted to seek further penalties against Senegal by lodging a protest for alleged violations of Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations, the CAF Disciplinary Board rejected the protest in its entirety.

Player and official conduct during the AFCON 2025 Final violated CAF’s fair play principles through direct interference with officiating, personal misconduct toward referees, and actions that brought the sport into disrepute. These violations are codified under the CAF Disciplinary Code, specifically focusing on the principles of fair play, integrity, and loyalty.

The violations can be categorized into three primary areas:

Interference with Match Governance and Technology

A significant violation of fair play involved the deliberate obstruction of the officiating process. Members of the Moroccan National Team, including both players and technical staff, invaded the VAR review area. By entering this restricted zone and obstructing the referee’s work, they violated Articles 82 and 83 of the CAF Disciplinary Code, which are designed to protect the integrity of match officials and the technology used to ensure fair outcomes.

Personal Unsporting Behavior Toward Officials

Individual players and high-ranking officials failed to uphold the standard of conduct expected toward match authorities:

Targeting the Referee: Senegalese players Iliman Cheikh Baroy Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr were specifically cited for unsporting behavior directed toward the referee, which undermines the authority and respect necessary for a fair match.

Leadership Failures: The Head Coach of Senegal, Pape Bouna Thiaw, engaged in unsporting conduct that was deemed a violation of integrity and fair play. Because the actions of a coach represent the federation, his behavior was identified as a factor that brought the game into disrepute.

Collective Misconduct and Ethical Violations

Beyond individual acts, the sources highlight a collective failure to adhere to the ethical standards of the competition:

Violating Loyalty and Integrity: The Senegalese players and technical staff were fined collectively for conduct that violated the principles of loyalty and integrity. This suggests actions that went beyond standard fouls, reaching a level of “improper conduct” that damaged the tournament’s reputation.

Failure of Team Discipline: Senegal’s violation of fair play principles was also evidenced by a lack of on-field discipline, as five of its players received cautions during the match.

Federation Responsibility for Stadium Environment: Fair play extends to the behavior of all representatives of a federation. The Moroccan federation was sanctioned because the “inappropriate behavior” of stadium ball boys and the use of lasers by supporters interfered with the fair conditions of play.

While the Moroccan federation (FRMF) attempted to claim that Senegal had committed further violations of tournament regulations (Articles 82 and 84), the CAF Disciplinary Board rejected these claims, maintaining that the primary breaches were those identified in their own disciplinary rulings.

While the sources do not provide the verbatim text of the CAF Disciplinary Code, they specify that Articles 82 and 83 are the regulations governing the principles of fair play and integrity,.

According to the disciplinary decisions regarding the AFCON 2025 Final, these articles were violated when members of a national team’s players and technical staff engaged in the following behaviors:

Invading the VAR review area,.

Obstructing the work of the referee,.

For these violations, the CAF Disciplinary Board imposed a fine of USD 100,000 on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF),.

It is important to note that the sources also mention Article 82 in a different context—as part of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations—relating to a protest lodged by Morocco against Senegal, which was ultimately rejected by the board,. The sources do not clarify if the content of Article 82 is identical across both the Disciplinary Code and the tournament regulations.

The  number of matches both players are suspended for are specified but do not provide a list of specific upcoming fixtures (dates or opponents) that they will miss. The suspensions apply to official CAF matches for the following durations:

Ismaël Saibari: He is suspended for three (3) official CAF matches for unsporting behavior,. In addition to the suspension, he was personally fined USD 100,000,.

Achraf Hakimi: He was handed a two (2) match suspension for unsporting behavior, but one (1) of these matches is suspended for one year from the date of the decision (January 28, 2026),. This effectively means he will miss one official CAF match immediately, with the second match only served if he commits a further violation within the one-year probationary period.

Checkthe official CAF competition calendar for Morocco’s next scheduled official matches to determine exactly which games they will miss.

The “inappropriate behaviour” of the stadium’s ball boys during the AFCON 2025 Final led the CAF Disciplinary Board to impose a major fine of USD 200,000 on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).

While the  exact amount of the penalty and the party responsible is specified, they do not provide a detailed description of the specific actions the ball boys took that were deemed “inappropriate”. However, the context of the ruling highlights several key factors regarding this fine:

Federation Accountability: Under CAF regulations, the host federation (or the federation associated with the stadium management) is held responsible for the conduct of all stadium personnel, including ball boys. The FRMF was directly penalized for their failure to ensure these individuals maintained a professional and neutral standard of conduct during the match.

Scale of the Penalty: The USD 200,000 fine for the ball boys’ behavior was twice as large as the fine imposed on the Moroccan players and technical staff for invading the VAR review area (USD 100,000), indicating that CAF viewed the ball boy incidents as a significant breach of match-day operations or fair play.

General Violation of the Disciplinary Code: Like the other incidents during the final—such as the use of lasers by supporters or the obstruction of match officials—the ball boys’ behavior was categorized as a violation of the CAF Disciplinary Code.

The observers do not explicitly state what the ball boys did (for example, common footballing infractions like withholding the ball to waste time or interfering with the flow of play). You may want to independently verify reports from the match to see if specific instances of time-wasting or interference were documented by match observers.

Source CAF