The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has suspended Senegal head coach, Pape Thiaw, for five matches and fined him $100,000 for “unsporting conduct” following his decision to order his players off the pitch during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final against Morocco.

In a ruling announced on Thursday, CAF also fined the Senegalese Football Federation $615,000 over the conduct of the team and the behaviour of Senegalese supporters at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium during the final.

The CAF Disciplinary Committee further sanctioned two Senegal players, Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr, with two-match suspensions each for “unsporting behaviour towards the referee.”

Morocco was not spared sanctions for its role in the chaotic final. The Moroccan Football Federation was fined a total of $315,000 for multiple offences, including the conduct of ball boys, players and officials invading the VAR review area, obstructing the referee, and the use of laser pointers by home supporters.

Moroccan players Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari were handed one-match and two-match suspensions respectively for throwing the towel of Senegal goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, into the crowd during the rain-soaked encounter.

CAF, however, dismissed Morocco’s appeal seeking to overturn the match result, which was influenced by Senegal’s lengthy walk-off protest.

The 2025 AFCON final was marred by controversy after the referee, following a VAR review, awarded Morocco a late penalty for a foul on Brahim Diaz. In protest, Thiaw instructed his players and staff to leave the pitch and retreat to the dugout, sparking tension in the stands as angry Senegalese fans clashed with stewards and isolated scuffles broke out.

The protest lasted nearly 20 minutes before Senegal returned to the field and the match resumed. Senegal ultimately survived the penalty scare, as Brahim Diaz’s Panenka effort was saved, before Pape Gueye’s stunning strike sealed a second AFCON title for the Teranga Lions.