The Africa Cup of Nations final was overshadowed by controversy after Senegal’s players protested a late refereeing decision and briefly left the pitch, raising questions over potential disciplinary action from the Confederation of African Football.
Senegal eventually claimed the AFCON title with a 1-0 victory over Morocco after extra time, but the dramatic final was marked by intense tension in the second half.
Trouble erupted when a penalty was awarded against Senegal, triggering widespread protests from players who objected strongly to the decision before some of them walked off the field in protest. The situation only eased after intervention from the technical staff, allowing play to resume.
The scenes revived memories of a similar incident in African football during the 2024 African Super Cup, when Zamalek players temporarily left the pitch at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia after a penalty was awarded to Al Ahly. That episode was later described by CAF’s Disciplinary Committee as inappropriate behaviour.
In that case, the committee imposed a heavy financial sanction on Zamalek, fining the club $300,000, with $100,000 suspended. Further punishment was handed to then-captain Mahmoud Abdel-Razek “Shikabala”, who received a three-match suspension and a $10,000 fine for instructing teammates to leave the field and protesting the referee’s decision. Ironically, Zamalek went on to win the trophy on penalties after returning to play.
That precedent has now drawn attention to the Senegal situation, with the possibility that CAF’s Disciplinary Committee could follow a similar path. Financial penalties and individual sanctions may be considered, depending on the content of match officials’ and observers’ reports, as well as the committee’s consistency in applying previous disciplinary rulings.
As CAF reviews the events of the AFCON 2025 final, the outcome of any disciplinary process is expected to play a key role in shaping discussions around player conduct, respect for referees, and the enforcement of discipline at Africa’s premier football tournament.
