FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have condemned the “unacceptable scenes” that ruined Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, with CAF promising to take “appropriate action” against those found guilty.
With the score at 0-0, Morocco and Senegal were unable to win the AFCON final until late in the afternoon when referee Jean Jacques Mdala gave Morocco a penalty following a VAR review of a challenge on Brahim Diaz.  ,
Most Senegalese players walked out of the stands in protest, and Moroccan security personnel and some Senegalese fans were involved in altercations.
READ MORE: AFCON: Senegal Learned From Nigeria vs. Morocco Match, Came Prepared — Dikko
In a statement released on Monday, CAF expressed regret for some players’ and officials’ behavior but shied away from blaming either team.  ,
The organization stated that it is reviewing all the available footage and will take the matter to its disciplinary bodies.
The continent’s governing body, the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Final between Morocco and Senegal, condemned the unacceptable behavior of some players and officials last night in Rabat.
“CAF firmly condemns any inappropriate behavior that occurs during matches, particularly those that targets the refereeing team or the organizers of matches.
CAF will review all footage and notify competent authorities to take appropriate legal action against those found guilty.
After being stopped by former Liverpool player Sadio Mane, one of the few who had initially stayed on the field, the Senegal players later made their way back to the field.  ,
The 66, 526 fans at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium were stunned by Pape Gueye’s brilliant goal in extra time, which Senegal then won.
“Set the right example”
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, also criticized the incident and described the scene as unacceptable. He criticized the supporters’ altercation and the pitch’s decision to leave.
We firmly condemn the actions of some “supporters,” Senegalese players, and technical staff members. In a statement sent to AFP, Infantino said, “It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner.”
“Violence cannot be tolerated in our sport; it is simply wrong,” he said, and it is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this way.
Infantino praised Morocco on their performance as “excellent hosts” and runners-up, which is a boost given their commitment to hosting the men’s 2030 World Cup, and said the teams must adhere to the match officials’ decisions.
He said, “We must always adhere to the decisions made by the match officials both on and off the field of play.”
Anything less threatens the very essence of football, according to the saying “teams must compete on the pitch and within the Laws of the Game.”
Infantino said images like those from Sunday sent the wrong message to supporters all over the world, despite the fact that he will be hoping there won’t be any of these scenes in the upcoming World Cup finals being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
He added that “it is also the responsibility of teams and players to act responsibly and set the right example for fans in the stadiums and millions of people watching around the world,” he added.
The “ugly scenes” of our time must be condemned and never repeated. They have no place in football, and I reaffirmed that I believe the appropriate actions will be taken by the relevant CAF disciplinary bodies.
“Heat of the moment,” p.
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw admitted to beIN Sports that he made a mistake by directing the players to leave.
I realized after thinking about it that I shouldn’t have commanded them to leave. I’m sorry, Thiaw said.
Sometimes you can react while the situation is heated up. a goal that was not given was before we scored. However, we now acknowledge that referees do errors and offer our sincere apologies.
However, Morocco’s coach, Walid Regragui, was concerned about the global harm the chaotic final had done to African football.
We created an image of African football that was rather repulsive. Regragui remarked that it is not very classy to have to play the game for more than ten minutes while the world is watching.
Source: Channels TV
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