Moroccan FA says it will begin legal action against CAF and FIFA following chaotic end to AFCON final

News
By published

Morocco lost the final to Senegal in extra time - but only after Senegal boss Pep Thiaw ordered his players off the pitch when a late Moroccan penalty was awarded

Morocco star Brahim Diaz is currently the competitions's top scorer
Morocco's Brahim Diaz missed his stoppage time free-kick (Image credit: Getty Images)

The fallout from Sunday night’s controversial African Cup of Nations final is set to rumble on, after the Moroccan football federation confirmed that they intend to take legal action following the chaotic climax.

The clash between hosts Morocco and Senegal was approaching the end of normal time with the two sides goalless, when a disallowed Senegal goal was followed by the awarding of a stoppage time Morocco penalty by referee Jean Jacques when El Hadji Malick Diouf felled Brahim Diaz.

General view ahead of the opening ceremony of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), prior to the Group A football match between Morocco and Comoros at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP)

The rince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat played host to the final (Image credit: Getty Images)

After a 17-minute delay, the players returned to their positions, only for Diaz to see his poor Panenka effort easily saved by former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

The full-time whistle immediately went, with Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye going on to score what would be the winning goal four minutes into extra time.

Senegal’s actions were criticised in the immediate aftermath by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who posted a lengthy message on Instagram.

“We must always respect the decisions taken by the match officials on and off the field of play,” he said. “Teams must compete on the pitch and within the Laws of the Game, because anything less puts the very essence of football at risk.

“We must always respect the decisions taken by the match officials on and off the field of play. Teams must compete on the pitch and within the Laws of the Game, because anything less puts the very essence of football at risk.”

And it would appear that the Moroccan authorities have taken this message on board, as they released a statement on Monday, announcing their intention to take the matter to the courts.

“[The RMFF] announces that it will pursue legal action with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA regarding the Senegalese national team's withdrawal from the final match against Morocco and the subsequent events following the referee's decision to award a penalty kick, a decision deemed correct by all experts,” they posted on X.

“This significantly impacted the normal flow of the match and the players' performance.”

Senegal AFCON 2023 squad: Senegal's midfielder #10 Sadio Mane runs during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group C football match between Senegal and Gambia at Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro on January 15, 2024. (Photo by Issouf SANOGO / AFP) (Photo by ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images)

Sadio Mane attempted to get his team-mates playing again (Image credit: Getty Images)

This came after CAF also issued a statement, indicating that this matter is likely to rumble on for some time.

“CAF strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour which occurs during matches, especially those targeting the refereeing team or match organisers,” the body said.

“CAF is reviewing all footage and will refer the matter to competent bodies for appropriate action to be taken against those found guilty.”

TOPICS
Joe Mewis
Joe Mewis

For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.