The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Senegal and Morocco in Rabat delivered drama on and off the pitch, and may now bring disciplinary consequences for the new African champions.
Senegal won 1–0 in extra time, but the main controversy came in the second half after the referee awarded a penalty to Morocco.
Several Senegal players reacted furiously, surrounding the match officials and then leaving the pitch in protest, forcing a brief stoppage before the coaching staff intervened and persuaded them to return. The chaotic scenes immediately revived memories of a similar case involving Egyptian giants Zamalek in the 2024 CAF Super Cup against Al Ahly in Saudi Arabia.
In that match, Zamalek players also walked off after a late penalty decision, before coming back to the field and ultimately winning the trophy on penalties. CAF’s Disciplinary Committee later ruled that behaviour “improper”, fining Zamalek 300,000 dollars, suspending 100,000 of that amount, and banning captain Mahmoud Abdel Razek “Shikabala” for 3 games while also issuing a 10,000 dollar fine for his role in leading the protest.
That Egyptian precedent now offers a clear guide to what Senegal might face. CAF could opt for substantial financial penalties and possibly individual sanctions against players or staff, depending on the referee’s and match delegate’s reports and how strictly the committee decides to apply its previous standards.
Whatever the final verdict, the incident has opened a wider debate about touchline protests, respect for officials, and how far teams can go in expressing anger without crossing the line into punishable misconduct on the African game’s biggest stage.
