CAF has severely sanctioned Senegal and Morocco following their chaotic AFCON final in Rabat, which Senegal won 1-0. Senegalese coach Thiaw was banned for "unsporting conduct" after signaling his team to abandon the pitch following a controversial penalty decision. Although many players walked off, Sadio Mane successfully persuaded them to return. Consequently, Senegalese forwards Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr received two-match bans, and their federation was fined a massive $615,000.
Morocco faced heavy penalties too: Ismael Saibari and Achraf Hakimi were suspended, while the federation was fined $315,000 for various offences, including laser usage and VAR obstruction. The dramatic match featured a disallowed goal and a missed penalty by Brahim Diaz before Pape Gueye finally scored the extra-time winner. These sanctions apply strictly to CAF matches, specifically the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. However, preparations for the 2026 World Cup remain unaffected for both nations as they face their respective upcoming groups.