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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President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has strongly denied reports circulating on social media alleging that he engaged in a public confrontation with the President of the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, during a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee in Morocco.

The unverified reports claimed that Gusau, who also serves as President of West African Football Union Zone B, had a heated exchange with Lekjaa, who is also the First Vice President of the Confederation of African Football, at a meeting held on the sidelines of the recently concluded 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.

Reacting to the allegations, Gusau described the claims as baseless and misleading.

“I really don’t know where the report is coming from,” Gusau said. “Nigeria and Morocco have very cordial relationships in football, and even at the level of government, both countries enjoy a warm relationship. Personally, I have always had a good relationship with Lekjaa.

“There was no shouting match, nor were there any insults thrown. Whoever came up with that report engaged in the mongering of total falsehood.”

Gusau also dismissed claims that the alleged disagreement was linked to comments he purportedly made about officiating during the second semi-final between Nigeria and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Wednesday, January 14.

“Before the match, I had publicly stated that the NFF was not apprehensive about the officiating,” he said. “After the match, I made no comments whatsoever. I am totally bemused as to where the reporter got the story that Lekjaa and I engaged in a shouting match because of my comments on officiating.”

The NFF president further praised Morocco’s hosting of the tournament, commending the Moroccan Football Federation, the Local Organising Committee, the Moroccan government and CAF for what he described as a highly successful championship.

“As far as the NFF is concerned, we have only praises for the Morocco Football Federation, the Local Organising Committee, the Government of Morocco and CAF for organising a very successful Africa Cup of Nations,” Gusau said. “It was a tournament full of glamour and excellence that will remain in our memories for many years to come.”

The denial comes amid heightened scrutiny of social media reports surrounding football administration in Africa, with officials increasingly urging caution against the spread of unverified claims.

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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