Morocco’s football federation (FRMF) says it will formally appeal the disciplinary punishments imposed by Confederation of African Football (CAF) after last month’s stormy Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, arguing the penalties are disproportionate to the incidents.
The Jan. 18 final, which Senegal won 1-0 after extra time, was marred by a prolonged stoppage after Senegal players briefly walked off following a disallowed goal, along with crowd trouble and touchline confrontations. CAF later rejected Morocco’s protest seeking to overturn the result.
CAF’s disciplinary board sanctioned both teams and officials. On the Senegal side, coach Pape Thiaw received a five-match ban and a $100,000 fine, while players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr were suspended for two CAF matches each. Senegal’s federation was also heavily fined for team and supporter misconduct.
Morocco was fined $315,000 for what CAF described as misconduct by players, staff and supporters, including laser use and other match-day incidents. Moroccan players Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari were also suspended, with Saibari additionally fined for unsporting conduct.
FRMF says it accepts the need for discipline but disputes the scale and framing of the sanctions, and will challenge the rulings through CAF’s appeal mechanisms. By contrast, Senegal’s federation announced it would respect CAF’s decision and not pursue an appeal.
The appeals process now shifts attention from the pitch to the legal and regulatory arena, where CAF will have to balance deterrence with consistency after one of the most contentious AFCON finals in recent years.
