The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has condemned the conduct of some players, match officials and even coaches during the 2025 AFCON final between Senegal and Morocco yesterday, Sunday, January 18.

In a statement dated January 19 and shared by the African Football governing body, it slammed the conduct of the players and all other parties involved in the chaos as “unacceptable”, stating that

It said, “The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) condemns the unacceptable behaviour of some players and officials during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Final between Morocco and Senegal in Rabat last night.”

It went on to register its displeasure about what it also labelled as inappropriate behaviour towards referees.

“CAF strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour which occurs during matches, especially those targeting the refereeing team or match organisers”, parts of the statement noted, adding that it will review all footage from the game to exact the right penalties against offenders.

Events that happened during the gameThe final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was nothing short of controversial, chaotic and tense; however, the side widely alleged to be at the centre of it all was Senegal.

This followed Morocco being awarded a penalty after their player, Ayoub El Kaabi, tumbled in the box following contact with Senegal defender Abdou Diallo. The referee initially waved play on, but later intervened after a VAR review.

Following the check, Morocco were awarded a penalty, which clearly upset Senegal’s players, who believed the contact was minimal and that El Kaabi had gone down too easily.

Consequently, they staged a walk-off in protest on the pitch, but the intervention of their captain, former Liverpool forward Sadio Mané, persuaded them to continue the game. Their return, many believe, wasn’t just as a result of Mane’s intervention but also due to Morocco missing the penalty.

Diaz missed the resulting penalty as he bizarrely clipped a Panenka effort down the middle and straight at Edouard Mendy.

In an interesting turn of events, Pape Gueye notched a goal in stoppage time, giving Senegal a lead in the 94th-minute securing the team their second AFCON title.

Sadio explains the motive behind his actionFollowing their victory over Morocco, Mane, during an interview with the media, explained that even though the referee’s decision might have been wrong, the most important thing is to respect the game and keep playing, hence his decision to call his teammates back o the pitch to play as football is widely love globally and it will have been unfair to the people watching to see the game called off over one disputed call.

He said, “When they decided to go out and not play, I stayed and asked some people, ‘What do you think about this? Is it a good idea or not?’ Then I decided to go and bring everyone back to the pitch. I think it is the best thing to do.

“Because this is just football, I think the referee sometimes can make mistakes. People around the world are watching. It could be a penalty or not, but that is not the most important thing. What matters is respecting the game. It is not fair to stop a match like this.”

Mane shows leadership skills in a tough situation

Mane went on to say of an incident that generated headlines around the world: “Football is something special, the world was watching, the world loves football, and I think football is a pleasure, so we have to give a good image for football.

“I think it would be crazy not play this game because what, the referee gave a penalty and we go out of the game? I think that would be the worst thing, especially in African football. I'd rather lose than have this kind of thing happen to our football.

“I think it's really bad. Football should not stop for even ten minutes, but what can we do? We have to accept that we did, but the good thing is that we came back and we played the game and what happened, happened.”

Thiaw stated on the part that he played in proceedings: “I didn’t appreciate at all that I told my players to leave the field. I apologise for football. After reflection, I had them come back. Sometimes, you can react in the heat of the moment. But we accept the referee’s mistakes. We offer our apologies to football.”

Mane praised for remarkable leadership skills

Former Morocco international Hassan Kachloul praised Mane’s behaviour while working as a pundit for Channel 4. He said: “What I like more than anything, the only player from the Senegalese team was Sadio Mane. That shows the great man he is. He went back to the dressing room and brought those players back. Mane was the man to bring them back on.”

Sadio to retire from continental football

Senegal striker Sadio Mané says his last continental tournament will be the AFCON 2025 final against Morocco, scheduled for Sunday, 18 January 2026 at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat.

Mané’s decisive second-half goal against Egypt in the semifinals secured a 1-0 victory, sending the Lions of Teranga through to the AFCON final. His performance earned him the Man of the Match award.

“I will be happy to play my last final in the Africa Cup of Nations,” Mané told RTS after the game, signalling the close of his AFCON career.

He further went on to commend his side for their resilience and team spirit, expressing optimism ahead of their final game.

“Even with difficulties, like losing Koulibaly, we stayed strong. That shows the spirit of this team. Morocco is a very good side, but we are ready. It will be a beautiful final.”

Sadio praised his former teammate from Liverpool, Mohammed Salah, saying, “Egypt fought hard, and Salah is a great player. I have huge respect for him and for their team.”

The game against Morocco is scheduled for 19:00 GMT. While stepping away from AFCON, the former Bayern Munich forward could continue representing Senegal until after the 2026 World Cup, set to be held across the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Mané lifted his first AFCON trophy with Senegal in 2021, marking a historic milestone for the Lions of Teranga.

Right when the game started, Senegal dominated in possession, creating chances, but Egypt kept a compact defence.