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.