Senegal manager Pape Thiaw appears set to be suspended following the controversial end to the Africa Cup of Nations final.
On Sunday evening, Senegal won their second AFCON title win in five years with a dramatic and controversial win over hosts Morocco.
Following referee Jean Jacques Ndala's decision to award Morocco a penalty in the final moments of the match, which was saved by Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy, the visitors stormed off the pitch, refusing to play extra-time in protest.
Eventually, Senegal's players decided to return to the pitch, with Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye then scoring the winning goal in the fourth minute of extra time to seal the title.
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But it appears that Senegal could yet face severe consequences for their actions, with manager Thiaw reportedly facing suspension in the wake of the match.
After the match, Thiaw apologised for for taking his players off the field, admitting that he had overreacted in the heat of the moment.
Thiaw apologised after the game for taking his players off the field. “After reflecting on it, I made them come back – you can react in the heat of the moment,” he told beIN Sports.
“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.”
Despite this, a statement from the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) condemned the actions of the Senegal team, confirming that it had launched an investigation with 'appropriate action to be taken against those found guilty'.
And now, it appears that Thiaw is set to be the first member of the Senegal team to face a punishment, with Romain Molina reporting that he will suspended by the CAF Disciplinary Commission, although it remains to be seen for how many matches.
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But the problems may not stop there for Senegal, with Molina later revealing that the actions in the AFCON final could prove to be 'costly' for several players.
Senegal at risk disqualification and being stripped of AFCON title
However, no punishment on any individual involved in Senegal's protest would be worse than the potential of losing the title due to disqualification.
As CAF carries out its investigation, the official stance remains unclear, but according to their regulations, “If, for any reason whatsoever, a team withdraws from the competition or does not report for a match, except in cases of force majeure accepted by the Organising Commissioner refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered a loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition”.
AFCON rules also state that the team will lose the match by 3-0 before the organising committee can take further measures if they see fit.
There is no precedent for CAF to follow, as a team has never left the pitch in protest during a match previously.
With that in mind, it remains completely possible that the Confederation could view the Senegal team's decision to leave the pitch as a forfeit, therefore ruling out their win and stripping them of the 2026 AFCON title.
Topics: Senegal, Morocco, Football, Africa Cup Of Nations
Ben McCrum