Morocco intends to resume CAF sanctions after the Africa Cup of Nations final amid widespread controversy over disciplinary decisions

Medias24, the Moroccan site, revealed that the officials of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation have finalized their decision to file an official appeal against the sanctions issued by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against the Moroccan national team, following the events that accompanied the final match of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The site explained that the Moroccan side was confident in its legal position from the beginning, considering that CAF regulations allowed the possibility of considering the Senegalese team as the loser of the match after their players left the field in protest against the awarding of a penalty kick to player Ibrahim Diaz, before they later returned to complete the match.

Widespread anger and criticism of the decisions

A state of anger prevailed within the Moroccan sports and media circles, where CAF's decisions were described as harsh and unprecedented against the host country and tournament organizer, which exacerbated the criticism directed at the continental federation.
In the same context, the Moroccan site LeSport360 pointed out that the sanctions sparked widespread controversy, speaking of double standards, through what was considered leniency towards the Senegalese team versus unjustified strictness towards Morocco, which opened a new discussion about the fairness of disciplinary decisions in African tournaments.

Severe disciplinary decisions from «CAF»

The Confederation of African Football had announced its final disciplinary decisions regarding the tournament final between Senegal and Morocco, in a match characterized by tension inside and outside the stadium.

Strict sanctions on Senegal
«CAF» imposed sanctions described as severe on the Senegalese team, most notably:
Suspension of coach Pape Thiaw for five matches in «CAF» competitions, and a personal fine of $100,000.
Suspension of players Elimane Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr for two matches each.
Fining the Senegalese Football Federation an amount of $615,000, one of the largest fines in the history of African football.

Sanctions against Morocco
The Moroccan team was not spared from sanctions, as «CAF» decided:
Suspension of Achraf Hakimi for one match with a suspended sentence.
Suspension of player Ismail El-Cebari for three matches.
Fining the Royal Moroccan Football Federation an amount of $315,000.

Ongoing controversy within the continent

These decisions brought back to the forefront the recurring controversy about the fairness of refereeing and disciplinary decisions in African tournaments, especially in major matches, amid increasing demands to review the decision-making mechanisms within the Confederation of African Football.