AFCON 2025: CAF fines Morocco USD 200,000 after towel incidents overshadow chaotic final – Ghana Latest Football News, Live Scores, Results

CAF has fined the Moroccan Soccer Federation USD 200,000 following incidents involving ball boys throughout the Africa Cup of Nations remaining, scenes that contributed to a chaotic climax to the event in Rabat and drew widespread consideration away from the soccer itself.

The sanction was imposed by CAF’s Disciplinary Board after it dominated that the conduct of stadium ball boys throughout the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Closing breached the CAF Disciplinary Code.

The superb was directed on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Soccer (FRMF), which CAF mentioned bore accountability for the incidents that unfolded throughout the match.

The ultimate, performed on the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, was already marked by stress and controversy, however additional dysfunction emerged round repeated interference with Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towel throughout stoppages in play.

Senegal’s reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf, who didn’t function on the pitch, unexpectedly grew to become a central determine within the unfolding drama.

The 26-year-old spent a lot of the match guarding Mendy’s towel, a job that proved very important amid torrential situations that required the Senegal primary to repeatedly dry his gloves.

That routine, nonetheless, was repeatedly disrupted as Moroccan ball boys and flag bearers have been seen making an attempt to take away or discard the towel at any time when play stopped. Related behaviour had additionally been noticed earlier within the event throughout Morocco’s semi-final victory over Nigeria.

Diouf remained stationed near the touchline all through the 120 minutes, retrieving the towel again and again.

At one level, video footage confirmed the Senegal goalkeeper being tackled to the bottom by three ball boys and dragged alongside the turf. Different clips confirmed him working away from the touchline in an effort to forestall additional interference.

Footage later within the match additionally appeared to indicate Morocco captain Acharf Hakimi tossing certainly one of Senegal’s towels over an promoting board, additional escalating tensions in a remaining already teetering on the sting.

Following Senegal’s victory, Diouf addressed the incident with humour. Posting {a photograph} of his winners’ medal alongside the now-iconic towel on Instagram, and accompanied by a love-struck emoji and a crying-laughing emoji, he wrote: “There it’s – the medal and the towel.”

CAF investigated the matter throughout a gathering of its Disciplinary Board on Wednesday and subsequently handed down the heavy superb, citing the conduct of the ball boys throughout the remaining.

In its ruling, the board said: “To superb the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Soccer (FRMF) USD 200,000, for the inappropriate behaviour of the stadium’s ball boys throughout the aforementioned match.”

The controversial scenes unfolded throughout a remaining that was dramatic each on and off the pitch. Senegal finally secured the title when Pape Gueye scored a shocking particular person objective within the fourth minute of additional time.

Nonetheless, that decisive second got here after Senegal, performing on directions from head coach Pape Thiaw, quickly refused to proceed the match.

Thiaw was left livid in second-half stoppage time after referee Jean Jacques Ndala dominated out a Senegal objective earlier than awarding Morocco a penalty within the 98th minute.

Former Liverpool ahead Sadio Mane remained on the pitch regardless of his crew’s protests and performed an important position in persuading his team-mates to return after a delay of 17 minutes.

When play resumed, Morocco have been handed an opportunity to grab the title, however Actual Madrid ahead Brahim Diaz, the event’s high scorer with 5 objectives, missed the penalty with a Panenka try.

CAF’s disciplinary resolution brings a proper conclusion to probably the most turbulent finals in Africa Cup of Nations historical past.