South African, Raymond Hack, who is the former chairman of the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Disciplinary Committee, has criticized the criticized the committee’s lenient sanction on Senegal coach Pape Thiaw, stressing the ban and fine falls short to the damaged he caused during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.
The continental football governing body (CAF) on Thursday, January 29, 2026 handed Thiaw a five-match suspension and a $100,000 fine for his role in the chaotic AFCON 2025 final.
The sanction follows events during the final against Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, where Senegal players walked off the pitch for about 17 minutes in protest against a penalty awarded to the hosts. Thiaw was found to have orchestrated the walk-off after instructing his players to leave the field, citing dissatisfaction with decisions made by referee Jean Jacques Ndala.
The Taranga Lions returned to resume the match and went on to win the title after extra time. Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal after Brahim Diaz missed the penalty that had triggered the protest.
In a statement, CAF said: “To suspend Mr Pape Bouna Thiaw, the Head Coach of the Senegalese National Team, for five (5) official CAF matches for his unsporting conduct in violation of the CAF Disciplinary Code principles of fair play and integrity and for bringing the game into disrepute.”
The statement added: “Mr Pape Bouna Thiaw was also fined USD 100,000.”
But Raymond Hack thinks otherwise, stressing the punishment falls short to the damaged he caused in the final match.
Speaking to South African channel SABC, Hack, who has extensive experience in football disciplinary procedures, said that the CAF Disciplinary Committee failed to make fair and decisive decisions, particularly concerning the actions of the parties involved during the match.
He expressed that the real mistake began with the Senegalese coach, who instructed his players to leave the pitch, a behavior he considered “contrary to the spirit and principles of football.” He pointed out that the punishment imposed on the coach (a five-match suspension and a fine) was less than the damage he caused.
He added that such actions cannot be addressed with mere fines, but require harsher administrative and disciplinary measures to deter future occurrences.
The disciplinary expert stated that past strict measures, such as the suspension of Luis Suárez for several months after his biting incident during the World Cup, or the sanctions against Maradona at the 2010 World Cup, prove that football does not tolerate such transgressions. He argued that what happened in the African final deserved a harsher punishment than just fines, perhaps even long-term bans for those who disrupted the match and incited the fans.
