Multiple sources have informed that Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw could miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) opened disciplinary proceedings against him over controversial conduct during the Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat.

CAF confirmed that it is reviewing incidents from the final between the Senegal national football team and the Morocco national football team, with potential sanctions that could include a lengthy suspension.

Such a penalty would likely rule Thiaw out of leading Senegal at the World Cup, which will be staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

The case stems from events late in stoppage time when referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty following a VAR review. In protest, Thiaw instructed his players to leave the pitch and return to the dressing room, causing a delay of approximately 17 minutes before play resumed.

Morocco’s Brahim Díaz later missed the penalty, and Senegal went on to win the match 1–0 after extra time to claim the continental title. However, the dramatic walk-off overshadowed the victory and has now placed Thiaw’s international future in doubt.

In a statement, CAF condemned the conduct, warning that actions perceived as undermining match officials and organisers violate the values of the game. “CAF strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour during matches, especially those targeting referees or match organizers,” the statement said.

CAF added that all available video footage from the final is being examined and that the matter will be referred to its disciplinary committees, which have the authority to impose suspensions, fines or bans.

The incident also drew criticism from Gianni Infantino, who described the scenes as “ugly” and called for accountability.

While Senegal’s World Cup preparations are expected to continue as planned, uncertainty now surrounds whether Thiaw will be on the touchline when the tournament kicks off in June, pending the outcome of CAF’s disciplinary process.

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By Victor Oladokun

Like millions of football fans who descended on Morocco for the African Cup of Nations final here in Rabat, and hundreds of millions more who watched globally, this has been an amazing tournament. 

The football infrastructure here has been absolutely world-class. The quality, efficiency, and cost of the train services are as good as, if not better than, some of the best in the world. Moroccan hospitality before, during and after the tournament has been exceptional. 

Significant improvements, though still need to be made in the overall quality of hotels and customer service, more so ahead of the soon-to-be jointly hosted 2030 #FIFAWorldCup to be held in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. I am confident Morocco will pull it off.

For now, here are 12 takeaways, based on my up-close observations.

1. #SENEGAL: While understandably frustrated by very poor officiating, walking off the pitch in protest risked match abandonment and damaged Africa’s global football image. It was a terrible call by the Senegalese coach that did not honour host country Morocco, the continent, #CAF or #FIFA. Thank God that #SadioMane had the presence of mind to stand his ground and convince his Senegalese teammates to return to the field and fight as men.

2. #MOROCCO: Ahead of all CAF and FIFA sanctioned football events, Morocco must prioritize a more robust stadium security system to contain fan anger and prevent escalations from erupting into full blown riots when decisions go against the home team. It was unacceptable to see Moroccan stadium officials and players (Hakimi and others included) deliberately throw away the towel of the Senegalese goalkeeper (which is needed to wipe down gloves during play). The same antic was used against Nigeria, including a racist slur by a Moroccan fan who threw a banana at Nigerian goalkeeper #Nwabali. These antics were juvenile, unnecessary, and highly provocative. It really took a shine off of the exceptional and kind hospitality that Moroccans always go out of their way to extend to foreigners. (Topic for another time).

3. #CAF: Africa’s apex football association, must enhance referee and VAR training to minimize controversial calls in high-stakes moments, and to reduce the likelihood of prolonged disputes and delays. In several of the tournament’s matches, the level of officiating fell well below acceptable international standards. Poor officiating in several matches undermined the credibility of the tournament. Calls were made that should not have been made. Calls were also not made that should have been made. Consequently, the media and fans were justified in their allegations or suspicions of official collusion favoring one team over the other. Whether true or not, is not the issue. Sometimes, perception is reality!

4. #FIFA: should develop clear international protocols for handling team walk-offs, including immediate sanctions to Federations, coaches, and players, to deter similar actions in future tournaments.

5. #SENEGAL: And every other country for that matter, needs a mature level-headed player in the mold of #SadioMane to de-escalate tensions swiftly. Thanks to his leadership, sanity prevailed, a full-blown crisis was avoided, the game resumed, and victory was secured.

6. #MOROCCO: And all other countries, should avoid high-risk penalty techniques like the Panenka in pressure situations, unless the taker is mentally prepared, as Diaz’s tame effort proved costly. The same seemingly laissez faire approach decisively cost #Nigeria its Semi Final match against Morocco when #Chukwueze gifted the Moroccan goalkeeper. 

7. #CAF: Implement stricter time limits for VAR reviews to avoid extending stoppage time excessively (e.g. 24 minutes), which fueled frustration and chaos.

8. #FIFA: Promote cross-confederation education on sportsmanship to counter perceptions of African football as chaotic, and to ensure fair play overrides national biases.

9. #MOROCCO: As AFCON hosts, and ahead of the 2030 World Cup, consider this a test-run and invest in enhanced crowd management strategies, including riot police readiness, to safeguard players, officials and fans, during heated matches.

10. #SENEGAL: Protesting soft penalties can backfire. The 16-20 minute delay highlighted poor sportsmanship. Any other referee could have called for a forfeit of the match in favor of Morocco, which would only have added to the shameful drama.

11. #CAF: Enforce post-match reviews of referee decisions to build trust, and address complaints like Senegal’s disallowed goal that preceded the penalty drama.

12. #FIFA: Monitor and advise tournament organizers especially in politically charged situations (for example in matches involving arch rivals Morocco and Algeria) and to prevent external factors, including excessive fan nationalism from escalating on-field disputes.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Victor Oladokun, a Senior Advisor to Dr Akinwumi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank from 2015 to 2025

By Kunle Solaja, who was in Rabat.

Days before the Sunday night final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, my own pilgrimage took a different route. It is not to a stadium, but to the ancient heart of Rabat, where history rises in stone at the Hassan Tower.

More than 800 years old and still looking as if it were completed yesterday, the Hassan Tower is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, fiercely protected by the Moroccan government. It is a reminder of the kingdom’s rich past, its place in the Islamic world and the enduring importance of preserving cultural heritage even as the nation races toward modernity.

As a brief diversion from the press tribune and the noise of match days, Neo Casablanca, the tour and event planning outfit working with the Moroccan National Association of Media and Publishers (ANME), took a group of international journalists on a cultural excursion to the monument.

The Hassan Tower is not just a landmark; it is an unfinished idea, frozen in time.

Construction began in the late 12th century under Sultan Yaqub al-Mansur of the Almohad dynasty, at a moment when empires expressed power not only through armies, but through architecture. The ambition was breathtaking: a mosque so vast it would rank among the greatest in the Islamic world, crowned by a minaret designed to dominate the skyline of Rabat.

The tower was planned to be the tallest in the world, but has remained uncompleted for 800 years since its inception.

History, however, had other plans. When the sultan died in 1199, the project slowed and eventually stopped.

What remains today is the tall, reddish, uncompleted minaret. It is however, still dignified, still photogenic and still giving Rabat its most recognisable silhouette. In a continent where big dreams are often interrupted by politics, time and tragedy, the tower still stands as a monument to ambition and endurance.

Spread across the vast, long, open, level area are rows of neatly aligned stone columns. They were once intended to support the prayer hall of the great mosque. As a sports reporter, I could not help thinking of stadium architecture, the way concrete and steel frame emotion. The Hassan complex does something similar, except its audience is time. You do not “watch” the Hassan Tower; you feel it.

The stuanted columns were to be built up as pillars inside the mosque

The enclosing walls do more than mark boundaries. They separate everyday city movement from sacred historical ground. Inside, the atmosphere becomes ceremonial. It is a place built for contemplation, and visiting it on the eve of a continental final suddenly makes perfect sense. Football is about identity and memory; so is this ground. A nation’s story is never told only through trophies. It is also told through what it chooses to preserve.

Just beside the tower stands the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, one of Morocco’s most revered national monuments. Its white marble and green-tiled roof contrast beautifully with the tower’s earthy tones. Guards in ceremonial dress stand motionless, like honour guards at a national stadium during an anthem – except here, the anthem is silence.

At each side of the corners of the Mausoleum stands motionless guards in ceremonial dress

Inside lie the royal tombs of King Mohammed V, the father of modern Morocco and the nation’s first king after independence in 1956; his son, King Hassan II, who ruled from 1961 to 1999; and Prince Moulay Abdallah, brother of Hassan II. Fittingly, the magnificent stadium that hosted the AFCON 2025 final is named after Prince Moulay Abdallah, linking Morocco’s sporting present with its historic soul.

Inside the Mausoleum are three tombs made of carara marble. In the centre is that of King Mohammed V, the father of modern Morocco. The two others are those of King Hassan II, who ruled from 1961 to 1999; and Prince Moulay Abdallah, brother of Hassan II.

Encircling the complex are broken perimeter walls. They are not signs of neglect, but scars of history.

In 1755, the catastrophic earthquake that destroyed Lisbon also struck the Atlantic coast of North Africa. Rabat was badly affected. At Hassan Tower, large sections of the mosque collapsed, bringing down arches and roofing structures and permanently crippling the grand project.

Parts of the broken fence od the Hassan Tower.

Modern Morocco chose preservation over reconstruction.

Rather than rebuild the walls and turn the site into a modern replica, the country stabilised and conserved what remained. The broken walls were left intentionally, not as ruins, but as historical testimony and visible reminders of ambition, empire, disaster and endurance.

In that sense, Hassan Tower tells a story very similar to football history:
great plans imagined, glory pursued, fate intervening, and yet the legacy still standing tall.

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