A moment of chaos erupted during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 final when Senegal players briefly walked off the pitch in protest over what they felt was poor officiating. Tensions boiled over in the 98th minute with the score still locked at 0-0. Senegal were furious after a decision to award Morocco a penalty in the final minute of stoppage time. Just moments earlier, the Senegalese believed they had scored, but their goal was ruled out. In a post-match interview, star forward Sadio Mané, who played his last AFCON, said the team felt the goal should have stood if the referee had reviewed the incident using VAR. Fueled by frustration, head coach Malick Thiaw instructed his players to leave the pitch and return to the dressing room. But, after a delay of about 15 minutes, Mané persuaded his teammates to return. Play resumed, and Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy went on to save Brahim Díaz’s ‘Panenka’ penalty. Had Senegal refused to return to the pitch, they would have faced a number of consequences. According to CAF’s disciplinary code, a team that refuses to play or to continue a match that has started is liable to a minimum fine of $20,000 and, in principle, forfeits the match. Such a forfeiture would have handed Morocco both the victory and the trophy. CAF regulations also provide for individual sanctions. Players deemed responsible for causing the abandonment of a match can be automatically suspended from the next match of the same competition, without prejudice to further disciplinary measures. Suspensions lasting more than one match may extend beyond AFCON to other CAF competitions involving senior national teams. In cases of serious violations, a player may be suspended from AFCON and all CAF competitions. Despite returning to the pitch, Senegal could still face disciplinary action for their conduct, including sanctions against head coach Thiaw. The coach was jeered as he entered his post-match press conference in Rabat but later acknowledged that the team had made the wrong decision.
