Raymond Hack, former head of the CAF disciplinary committee, has criticised the sanctions imposed on Senegal and Morocco following the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, describing them as insufficient and lacking deterrent effect.
The disciplinary measures were announced ten days after the heated final in Rabat, which saw Senegalese players temporarily leave the pitch, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towels stolen, and a partial pitch invasion by supporters.
CAF suspended Moroccan players Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari, along with Senegalese coach Pape Thiaw and players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaïla Sarr, for a minimum of two matches.
In addition, the football federations of both nations were fined more than $1 million collectively, with Senegal responsible for two-thirds of the total.
Hack, speaking to Le360 Sport, criticised the decision, arguing that it failed to reflect the severity of the incidents.
“Here you have someone asking his players to withdraw, it descends into chaos for 17 minutes, the whole world witnesses it, and he’s banned for five CAF matches, which means he can still play in the World Cup.It’s absolutely ridiculous! And they get a $300,000 fine—what does that mean when the winner takes home $10 million? It’s completely disproportionate!” Hack said.
The South African football administrator suggested that coach Pape Thiaw should have faced a far longer suspension.
“If I were chairman of the Commission, I would certainly have banned the coach from all football-related activities for at least six months. I would have imposed fines as well,” Hack added.
🗣️ Raymond Hack, ancien président de la commission disciplinaire de la CAF, critique les sanctions :
« La commission disciplinaire a manqué une occasion historique d’imposer des sanctions à la hauteur de la gravité des faits.
C’est l’un des épisodes les plus gênants jamais… pic.twitter.com/kZ8shFbtsu
— Lion Times 🇲🇦 (@LionTimes_) January 29, 2026
He emphasised that the sanctions lacked the impact needed to prevent similar incidents in future tournaments.
Some reports had indicated that CAF could have considered far harsher penalties, including suspending Senegal from the World Cup, revoking the AFCON title, or disqualifying the team from the next tournament.
Hack’s comments highlight ongoing debate over CAF’s handling of disciplinary matters and the standards of accountability for high-profile incidents in African football.
The controversy continues to stir discussions among fans, players, and officials about the appropriate level of sanctions for behaviour that undermines the integrity of major competitions.
