CAF verdict: A disciplinary commission discredited by a biased, incoherent and absurd ruling, delivered after the incidents of the Senegal–Morocco final

The prevailing sentiment is harsh. The disciplinary commission appears to have sanctioned the wrong party, while downplaying acts that nonetheless plunged the final into chaos. A situation that suggests the rules do not apply in the same way to everyone.

A clear violation of CAF regulations:

The most shocking aspect remains the failure to apply CAF’s own regulations. Official reports clearly state that the Senegalese team left the pitch, interrupting the normal course of a continental final watched by millions of viewers. Articles 82 and 84 of the disciplinary code explicitly provide for automatic sanctions in such cases, which are considered a serious breach of sporting order.

Despite this, these provisions were ignored. This choice appears to represent a blatant break with the fundamental principle of equality before the regulations. Can a continental competition remain credible if its own rules become optional when a major incident occurs?

By turning a blind eye to this central issue, the disciplinary commission sends an alarming signal: certain serious acts may ultimately go without real consequences.

A completely incoherent hierarchy of offences:

The incomprehension deepens when comparing the sanctions imposed in other situations with those decided for this final.

Players and officials have previously been heavily sanctioned for gestures or outbursts that did not disrupt the course of a match. Yet here, a voluntary withdrawal from the pitch during a continental final, an act liable to cause the outright abandonment of the match, results only in sanctions deemed lenient.

The message sent is catastrophic. Leaving a final appears less serious than minor incidents elsewhere. A disciplinary logic that seems entirely inverted and that undermines the credibility of CAF’s sanctioning scale.

Sanctions against Morocco deemed absurd:

Another decision fuelling anger concerns the sanctions related to the ball boys. These individuals fall under the organisation of CAF itself, which manages match logistics. National federations are neither responsible for their recruitment nor their direct supervision.

Holding the Moroccan federation responsible for personnel placed under the authority of the organiser appears, to many analysts, legally incoherent. If a similar incident were to occur in another match, no team would be held responsible.

Why, in this specific case, is responsibility transferred to Morocco? This decision is perceived as an attempt to artificially distribute blame in order to avoid clearly addressing the core issue.

A disciplinary authority now under challenge:

Instead of delivering a clear conclusion consistent with the regulations, the disciplinary commission has issued a verdict that further weakens CAF’s image. Many observers believe the body missed an opportunity to firmly defend the integrity of its competitions.

African football needed a strong signal reaffirming that the rules apply to everyone, especially during a continental final. Instead, it is left with a decision that generates a deep sense of injustice and opens the door to further controversy.

The AFCON final was meant to be a showcase for African football. It will now remain associated with a disciplinary episode that, far from restoring confidence, calls into question the very credibility of the body responsible for safeguarding sporting fairness on the continent.

Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s French article – le7tv