Researched by Alfa Shaban
A day after the January 18, 2026, African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between Morocco and Senegal, viral claims on social media platforms suggested that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had suspended Senegalese coach Pape Thiaw.
According to posts on Facebook and X (here, here, here, here, and here), the decision to suspend the coach was based on ordering his players to leave the field after a penalty decision.
GhanaFact, through analysis of CAF communications and an interview with a source at CAF, debunked the Thiaw suspension posts, which were reported by some news portals. “No truth”, our CAF source stated, adding: “Initial proceedings only started this morning (January 20) but nothing has come out,” our source added.
A week after our report and amid rising speculations online and in some Moroccan football circles of hefty bans from CAF targeting Senegal, the African football governing body released the findings of its disciplinary committee tasked with probing the January 18 chaos.
The January 28 ruling ranges from fines against the respective football associations (team and fan misconduct as well as misbehaviour by ball boys) and sanctions targeting the Senegal coach and two players, as well as two Moroccan players. There were mostly fines, but also football match bans.
What are the major outcomes from the ruling?
- Senegal’s total fines – US$715,000
- Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), US$615,000
- Affected team members – Coach Pape Thiaw
- Players – Iliman Cheikh Baroy Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr
- Morocco’s total fines – US$415,000
- Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) – US$300,000
- Affected team members – Players Achraf Hakimi and Ismaël Saibari
Details of the CAF Disciplinary Board decisions:
| Association/official | Sanction |
| Pape Bouna Thiaw, Senegal coach | Suspension for five (5) official CAF matches for his unsporting conduct and bringing the game into disrepute. Plus US$100,000 fine |
| Iliman Cheikh Baroy Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr | Suspension for two (2) official CAF matches each, for their unsporting behaviour towards the referee. |
| Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) | A fine of US$300,000 for the improper conduct of its supporters and another US$300,000 for the unsporting conduct of their players and technical staff. US$15,000 for the misconduct of its National Team, due to five (5) of its players having received cautions. |
| Achraf Hakimi | Suspension for two (2) official CAF matches, with one (1) of these matches being suspended for one (1) year from the date of this decision, for his unsporting behaviour. |
| Ismaël Saibari | Suspension for three (3) official CAF matches for his unsporting behaviour.Plus a fine of US$100,000. |
| Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) | Fined 200,000, for the inappropriate behaviour of the stadium’s ball boys during the final, plus US$100,000 for the improper conduct of their National Team players and technical staff, who invaded the VAR review area and obstructed the referee’s work. US$15,000 for the use of lasers by its supporters during the aforementioned match. |
All sanctions against Senegal were deemed as a “violation of the CAF Disciplinary Code principles of fair play and integrity and for bringing the game into disrepute.”
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Morocco, on the other hand, was sanctioned based on, among others, “violation of the principles of fair play and integrity, as stated in Articles 82 and 83 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.”
Finally, a protest lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) regarding alleged violations by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nation, were rejected.
Conclusion
The initial viral claims about the coach’s suspension were a case of misinformation gone wild; the claims at the time, aside from the absence of credible sources, lacked a time frame for the suspension to be served, and the exact infractions were unclear.
Now, Thiaw has been duly suspended, and the facts have been established beyond the social media trends and misreports on news websites.
