Tensions continue to simmer in Moroccan football following the highly controversial Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal, a match that ended not just in defeat, but in disciplinary chaos. Days after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) handed down sanctions, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has yet to issue an official response. Internally, however, it’s clear the Federation is preparing for battle.
Sources close to the matter say the FRMF is carefully examining the legal aspects of the decision before making any public move. Moroccan officials consider the CAF’s rulings not only harsh on their players, but unbalanced, particularly in how lightly they believe the Senegalese delegation was treated in comparison.
According to information obtained by Médias24, Morocco is already preparing to appeal. Confident in its case, the FRMF plans to take the matter to CAF’s Appeals Board within hours. Should that path lead nowhere, the Federation is ready to escalate the dispute to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.
The CAF sanctions target figures from both teams. On the Senegalese side, head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw has been handed a five-match ban and fined $100,000 for his conduct during the final. Players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaïla Sarr have each been suspended for two games.
The Senegalese Football Federation has also been hit with a $300,000 fine over its supporters’ behavior and an additional $300,000 for the actions of its players and staff. A further $15,000 penalty was imposed due to the number of yellow cards issued during the game.
Morocco didn’t escape unscathed. Star player Achraf Hakimi received a two-game suspension, one of which is suspended. Ismael Saibari was hit with a three-match ban and a $100,000 fine. The FRMF itself must pay $200,000 over the conduct of its ball boys, plus another $100,000 for staff members entering the VAR zone without authorization. The use of lasers by fans during the match added a final $15,000 to the bill.
Adding to Morocco’s frustration is the rejection of its formal complaint against the Senegalese Football Federation. The FRMF had accused Senegal of violating key tournament regulations, specifically, Articles 82 and 84 of the CAN rulebook, which concern team withdrawals and related consequences. Video footage from the final appeared to show Senegalese players leaving the field at a crucial moment, a move that, according to tournament rules, could have led to Senegal forfeiting the match. However, CAF dismissed the complaint.
Mohamed Eltobgy, a legal expert with the Egyptian Football Federation and a CAF instructor, told Le Matin that the CAF disciplinary committee chose to apply its general disciplinary code, which is more lenient than the tournament-specific regulations. He believes this decision limited the scope of the punishments and that, even if Morocco appeals to the CAS, it’s unlikely the final result would be overturned, though administrative remedies might still be considered.
For now, the FRMF remains silent in public, but internally the situation is moving quickly. A statement is reportedly ready, with the Federation waiting to complete its legal review before going public. That announcement could come as soon as Friday.
