FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, has reacted to the chaos that broke out during the 2025 AFCON final match on Sunday.
Tensions broke out at the stadium in Rabat as Senegal won 1-0 against Morocco.
The decisive moment came when the match referee, Jean-Jacques Ndala, controversially gave a penalty to the Atlas Lions due to a foul on Brahim Diaz.
Ndala’s decision caused outrage among the Senegalese players, who felt aggrieved not only by the penalty call but also by his earlier decision to disallow their goal because of a foul on Achraf Hakimi.
Pape Thiaw’s men then opted to leave the pitch before they were urged to return to the by teammate Sadio Mane.
Reacting to the development, Infantino insisted that it is unacceptable for Senegalese players to leave the pitch in such a manner.
“It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence can’t be tolerated in our sport. It is simply not right,” Infantino wrote.
“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.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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