Now that the dust has settled on an Africa Cup of Nations final that will be remembered for years, African soccer’s governing body has handed out punishments for the chaos that ensued.
Fan trouble, players refusing to compete, controversial refereeing decisions, and a missed penalty were all flashpoints in a memorable match that was eventually won by Senegal.
On Thursday, as many expected, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced several punishments for both the Lions of Teranga and the beaten finalist Morocco, with individual players and managers also facing penalties.
The final will perhaps be remembered most for the decision by some of Senegal’s players to walk off the pitch in protest of a penalty being awarded to the Atlas Lions in the final moments of regulation time.
Senegal manager Pape Thiaw has subsequently received a five-game ban from CAF and has been fined $100,000 for his role in leading the protest and for what is described as “unsporting conduct.”
CAF also fined the Senegalese soccer federation (FSF) $300,000 for the “improper conduct of supporters,” after fans clashed with police in a frantic ending to the match. It also received another $300,000 fine for the conduct of its players and staff, in addition to a further $15,000 fine for five of its players receiving cautions from the referee.
Senegalese stars Cheikh Baroy Ndiaye and Ismaïla Sarr were also handed two-game bans for their behavior towards the match official.
The game bans, though, do not include the World Cup, which FIFA organizes. The suspensions only apply to official CAF games.
While Senegal bore the brunt of CAF’s punishment, Morocco has also been slapped with several penalties.
Captain Achraf Hakimi received a two-game ban from CAF, one of which is suspended for a year, for his “unsporting behavior” during the final. His national teammate Ismael Saibari was also banned for three official CAF matches and fined $100,000.
The Moroccan soccer federation was also fined a total of $315,000, including punishment for the behavior of its players and staff, and for fans using lasers to distract players during the final. The fine also includes a penalty for the poor behavior of ball boys, who were seen attempting to take away the Senegalese goalkeeper’s hand towel during the match.
CAF’s announcement caps off what was a difficult ending to an otherwise brilliant tournament, one that seemingly continues to divide African soccer.
