Rabat – Moroccan social media reacted strongly after CAF announced its sanctions following the chaotic AFCON 2025 final. Journalists, analysts, and fan pages agreed on one point: the punishment does not match the severity of the incident.
On X and Facebook, many expressed shock at what they saw as a dangerous precedent, noting that CAF’s leniency towards Senegal amounts to treating “walking off the pitch” as normal. Moroccans argued Senegal’s unprecedented behavior should have brought the toughest consequences.
‘Comedic’ justice
Veteran journalist Mohammed Ammor, former beIN SPORTS news director, called the sanctions “comedic.” He said Moroccans did not expect a replay or extreme measures, but they did expect fairness.
Ammor pointed out the imbalance: a coach who walked off in a final gets a five‑match ban, while a Moroccan player tied to the towel incident gets three.
He added that claims Morocco controls CAF are absurd. “If Morocco really had influence, the decision would not look like this,” Ammor warned that repeated unfair rulings risk turning football disputes into deeper tensions.
عقوبات الكاف كوميدية.
لم نكن ننتظر إعادة المباراة مثل عديد الأغبياء قبل حوالي ثلاث سنوات …
لا أحد منا برمج وقفة احتجاجية في زيوريخ خارج مقر الفيفا …
لم نكن نريد ذلك ولا ينبغي لنا …
ولكن …
مدرب ينسحب من نهائي كأس أفريقيا يعاقب بالإيقاف لخمس مباريات ولاعب يركض…
— Mohammed Ammor (@ammorm) January 29, 2026
Journalist Naama Maoulainine summed up the mood with one line: “The CAF decision was more painful than the final result.” He stressed that defeat is part of football, but institutions are judged by fairness.
His words spread widely because they captured the feeling across Morocco. Yet the surprise and disbelief are not only about Morocco losing a trophy, but about trust in CAF and whether its rules are applied equally when it matters most.
‘This is Africa’
One of the most shared reactions on Facebook came from sport journalist Ismail Sefrioui, who wrote: “This is CAF, and this is Africa.” His post pushed back against claims that Morocco controls CAF or that Fouzi Lekjaa influences Patrice Motsepe.
Sefrioui said the ruling itself proves the opposite, showing leniency toward Senegal and harshness toward Morocco. He called the decision arbitrary and urged Morocco to appeal, even at CAS (TAS).
Anger online grew as people compared sanctions. The sports page AlmarssadPro posted a side‑by‑side list and said: “This is ridiculous… I’m sure more teams will walk off the pitch in upcoming competitions.”
They argued CAF’s ruling puts walking off the pitch on the same level as minor incidents, warning it could invite more protests. In another post, AlmarssadPro said CAF’s “laughable sanctions” might “open the floodgates” to crowd trouble and tactical walk‑offs whenever teams feel wronged.
Some reactions went further. DBS Morocco wrote: “For Moroccans, #AFCON2025 is officially dead. No more support, no sponsorship, no interest.” The post called the final and aftermath a “farce” and ended with: “SHAME on CAF.”
The core issue is trust. For many Moroccans, CAF’s sanctions are not just punishments but a signal of what African football will accept.
The feeling is that Morocco was not only wronged in one match, but that CAF weakened its own authority by treating the most serious act of the final as just another item on a list. Rules are meant to stop chaos, yet many believe CAF’s light rulings reward and normalize it.
