Cairo [Egypt], January 19 : The Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) on Monday issued a statement condemning the "unacceptable behaviour of some players and officials during the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 final between the hosts and Senegal at Rabat on Sunday, which saw Senegal winning their second title.
Senegal, spearheaded by stars Idrissa Gueye and Sadio Mane, secured their second AFCON title, beating Morocco 1-0 in the title clash on Sunday, with Pape Gueye scoring an incredible goal in the 94th minute, during the extra time. As per Goal.com, the decisive moment of the match came when Gueye got a pass from Idrissa, and he delivered a clean left-footed finish against goalie Yassine Bounou.
During the extra time, Morocco was given a late penalty, and Senegal players walked off the pitch as a mark of protest. The delay lasted 14 minutes, and play resumed in the 24th minute of additional time, with Brahim Diaz's spot kick saved and Pape securing the winning goal. Pape Thiaw, the Senegal coach, was one of the key persons involved in the walk off.
In their statement, CAF said, "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.
"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," it concluded.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino also said on Instagram, "It is also 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. I reiterated that they have no place in football and I expect that the relevant disciplinary bodies at CAF will take the appropriate measures."
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Speaking on the walkout, Thiaw issued 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. We wondered if that penalty should have been given. Before that, we scored a goal that was not awarded. We accept the referee's mistakes; it can happen," he said as quoted by Olympics.com.