Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, has described the behaviour of the Senegal player and fans during the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as “unacceptable”.
Senegal walked off the pitch in their 1-0 AFCON ’25 final
victory over Morocco, the host nation, in protest against the penalty awarded
following VAR review for a foul on Brahim Diaz.
Tempers also flared in the stands following the decision, as
angry Senegal fans confronted stewards and threatened to set the stadium on
fire. The Senegalese players and coaching staff’s standoff lasted almost 20
minutes before they returned to the field for the match to resume.
In an Instagram post, Infantino strongly condemned the
behaviours on and off the pitch as unacceptable.
The 55-year-old football administrator also stated that
Senegal’s decision to walk off the pitch was not the right one.
“We also witnessed unacceptable scenes on the field and in
the stands – we strongly condemn the behaviour of some ‘supporters’ as well as
some Senegalese players and technical staff members,” the FIFA president
writes.
“It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this
manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply
not right.”
Infantino also added that the actions of the Senegalese
contingent were not within the laws of the game, and that CAF will be meting
out appropriate punishment.
“We must always respect the decisions taken by the match
officials on and off the field of play. Teams must compete on the pitch and
within the Laws of the Game, because anything less puts the very essence of
football at risk,” he writes.
Senegal survived the penalty call as Brahim Diaz had his
Panenka kick saved, before Pape Gueye’s screamer sealed a second AFCON title
for the Teranga Lions.
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