CAF Suspends Senegal Head Coach Pape Thiaw Following Dramatic AFCON 2025 Final Chaos
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has suspended Senegal's national team head coach, Pape Thiaw, in the wake of highly controversial events during the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 final against hosts Morocco.
The incident occurred in the dying moments of regulation time when the referee awarded a stoppage-time penalty to Morocco following a VAR review. In protest against what many described as a disputed or "soft" decision, Coach Thiaw reportedly instructed his players to walk off the pitch, leading to a dramatic halt in play for nearly 15 minutes. The chaotic scenes disrupted the showpiece match and drew widespread condemnation.
Despite the protest, Senegal's players eventually returned to the field — with key intervention credited to captain Sadio Mané, who urged calm and prevented a potential disqualification. Morocco missed the resulting penalty, and Senegal went on to win the final 1-0 after extra time, securing their second AFCON title.
However, the victory was overshadowed by the off-field fallout. CAF condemned the "unacceptable behaviour of some players and officials" in an official statement, describing the actions as a serious breach of conduct that threatened the integrity of the competition. Reports from multiple sources, including journalists and sports outlets, confirm that the CAF Disciplinary Commission has now imposed a suspension on Coach Thiaw, with some describing it as indefinite or potentially lengthy.
Additional sanctions reportedly include:A fine of around $300,000 on the Senegalese Football Federation for the game disruption And a Possible match bans and fines for involved technical staff.
