Morocco Will Appeal the Sanctions for the 2025 African Cup of Nations Final Incident against Senegal

JAKARTA - Morocco has decided to appeal a ruling that resulted in a fine of 415,000 US dollars and a ban on playing due to chaos in the 2025 African Cup of Nations final.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) last month fined hosts and Senegal for riots at the final in the Moroccan capital, January 19, 2026.

Senegal won the match 1-0 after extra time and decided not to appeal the decision.

The Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and player Ismael Saibari were fined a total of 415,000 US dollars. Saibari and a teammate were also banned from playing.

During the final in Rabat, the goalkeepers tried to grab the towel belonging to Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, apparently to distract him, an incident that led to a fine of 200,000 US dollars for the hosts.

Morocco considers the CAF sanctions disproportionate to the incident.

"Given the inconsistency of this sanction with the scale and severity of the incident, FRMF has decided to appeal this decision," FRMF said in a statement.

The final was marked by the actions of the Senegalese players who left the field in protest of the penalty in injury time and the attempts of the supporters to invade the field.

Angry home fans threw chairs and clashed with security staff. Eighteen people are awaiting trial on hooliganism charges.

CAF fined the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) and coach Pape Thiaw a total of 715,000 US dollars. They also sanctioned Thiaw with a ban on accompanying the team and a ban on two other players.

The playing ban only applies to matches in the African corridor, not the World Cup which will start in June 2026, of which Senegal and Morocco have qualified.

After the tumultuous final, tensions shifted from the pitch to social media. In Morocco, human rights groups warned against an increase in what they called "hate speech against sub-Saharan residents".

In response, officials from Morocco and Senegal called for calm and sought to reaffirm their countries' economic and diplomatic ties.