Senegal has accepted the sanctions imposed by the CAF disciplinary committee following the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, with FSF Secretary General Abdoulaye Sow insisting the match result cannot be questioned.
Speaking on Senegal’s national television channel, Sow reviewed the proceedings of the disciplinary hearing and addressed the arguments presented by both Morocco and Senegal.
Both nations were sanctioned following disturbances during the final.
“Morocco wanted to base their claim on the AFCON regulations, specifically articles 82 and 84, to demand a victory by default. It doesn’t matter that Senegal returned to the field. However, Senegal started and finished. Therefore, we couldn’t talk about a defeat by default,” Sow explained.
Senegal has received significant sanctions, including suspensions and fines for players Pape Thiaw, Iliman Ndiaye, and Ismaila Sarr.
While Sow described Sarr’s sanction as an “injustice,” he acknowledged that the FSF admitted the facts during the disciplinary proceedings.
“He (Ismaila Sarr) did nothing wrong. It should have ended with a yellow card. We did not deny the facts. We acknowledged our fault, our mistake. But we explained the circumstances and why we got to this point,” Sow said.
The “circumstances” refer to violent scenes during the match, including fans attempting to enter the pitch after a disputed refereeing decision and security intervening.
Senegal’s second-choice goalkeeper, Yehvann Diouf, was also harassed over first-choice Édouard Mendy’s towel.
Morocco has announced its intention to appeal the CAF disciplinary committee’s ruling.
However, the Senegalese Football Federation considers the 2025 AFCON a closed chapter.
“The essential thing is that it’s the cup. No one can question the trophy or the match. The story ends there,” Sow concluded, signalling Senegal’s acceptance of CAF’s decisions and commitment to move forward.
