The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has announced it will pursue legal proceedings with the Confederation of African Football and FIFA following a controversial walk off by Senegal players during Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final.
Senegal claimed their second AFCON title with a 1-0 victory over hosts Morocco at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, but the triumph was marred by extraordinary scenes when the Lions of Teranga temporarily abandoned the pitch in protest of a penalty award.
The incident unfolded in the 98th minute of stoppage time when referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty following a Video Assistant Referee review of Malick Diouf’s challenge on Brahim Diaz. The decision came seconds after the official had disallowed an Ismaila Sarr header for Senegal at the other end, sparking fury among the visiting team.
Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw instructed his players to leave the field and return to the dressing room, halting the final for approximately 14 minutes. The chaotic scenes included violent altercations between fans and stewards, with some Senegalese supporters attempting to storm the pitch.
Play resumed only after Thiaw reversed his decision and brought the players back. Sadio Mane reportedly played a key role in convincing his teammates to return. The former Liverpool forward was notably the player who remained on the pitch while his colleagues departed.
When the penalty was finally taken in the 24th minute of added time, Diaz attempted a Panenka style kick but his effort was easily saved by former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, sending the final to extra time.
Pape Gueye scored a spectacular long range strike four minutes into extra time to seal victory for Senegal, who previously won the tournament in 2021 by defeating Egypt on penalties. The result extended Morocco’s wait for a continental title to 50 years, having last won the trophy in 1976.
In a statement released Monday on its official X account, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation confirmed it will initiate legal action with CAF and FIFA to rule on the walk off and the events surrounding the decision.
“The Royal Moroccan Football Federation announces that it will pursue legal action with the Confederation of African Football and FIFA to rule on the walk off of the Senegalese national team from the field during the final against the Moroccan national team, as well as on the events surrounding this decision, following the referee’s awarding of a penalty that was deemed correct by all experts,” the federation said.
The federation added that the situation had a significant impact on the normal course of the match and on the players’ performance.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemned the behavior of Senegal’s players and technical staff in a statement posted on his Instagram account Monday. He described the scenes as unacceptable and called for appropriate disciplinary measures.
“We also witnessed unacceptable scenes on the field and in the stands. We strongly condemn the behaviour of some supporters as well as some Senegalese players and technical staff members,” Infantino wrote.
He continued that it is unacceptable to leave the field of play in such manner and that violence cannot be tolerated in sport. Infantino stressed that teams must compete on the pitch within the Laws of the Game, warning that anything less puts the very essence of football at risk.
CAF also released a statement condemning the unacceptable behavior from some players and officials, though it did not explicitly name the Senegal delegation. The African governing body confirmed it is reviewing all footage and will refer the matter to competent bodies for appropriate action.
Thiaw later apologized for his decision to withdraw the players during a post match interview with beIN Sports. He acknowledged that reactions can occur in the heat of the moment and presented his apologies to football.
“After reflecting on it, I made them come back. You can react in the heat of the moment. We accept the errors of the referee. We shouldn’t have done it but it’s done and now we present our apologies to football,” Thiaw said.
However, the coach was jeered by Moroccan journalists when he entered his scheduled post match press conference and subsequently walked out without taking questions.
Morocco head coach Walid Regragui attacked Thiaw for leading the walk off protest, describing the image given to Africa as shameful. He criticized a coach asking his players to leave the field and said the behavior did not honor Africa.
“We stopped the match in the eyes of the world for 10 minutes. Thiaw wasn’t classy,” Regragui told reporters.
Mane also expressed reservations about the protest, suggesting his country would have been crazy not to finish the game. He described the incident as sad and emphasized that walking out over a penalty decision would be the worst thing, especially in African football.
The match was attended by over 66,000 spectators, though many left before the trophy presentation. The stadium emptied quickly after the final whistle, with few remaining to witness Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly hand the trophy to Mane, who lifted it in what could be his final AFCON appearance.
Diaz later apologized on his X account for missing the penalty, stating his soul aches and expressing his intention to work tirelessly to repair the relationship with Moroccan supporters. Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappe pledged that everyone at the club would protect Diaz following his costly miss.
It remains unclear whether any potential ban imposed on Thiaw would apply only to future African competitions or extend to FIFA’s World Cup in North America. Senegal is scheduled to face France on June 16 at MetLife Stadium near New York in their World Cup opener, with a match against Norway following six days later.
The Senegalese Football Federation had complained before the final about a lack of fair play from Moroccan hosts, citing alleged issues with security, hotel accommodation, training facilities, and ticket availability for supporters.
Social media footage from the final also showed ballboys and officials attempting to prevent Senegal’s backup goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf from handing a towel to Mendy, with equipment reportedly thrown into the stands.
Senegal were without suspended captain Koulibaly and midfielder Habib Diarra for the final, and suffered further setbacks when Krepin Diatta and Ousseynou Niang both got injured during the warmup.
