The African Football Confederation is demanded to impose the strictest penalties on Senegal and its coach, due to their attempts to disrupt the Africa Cup final in Morocco. This is to prevent national teams from resorting to extortion to reject refereeing decisions, withdraw from matches, and incite the crowd to riots.
The necessity to put an end to this behavior increases when looking back at the precedents of the Senegalese national team in the Africa Cup, as they have been involved in similar incidents in several countries.
2004: The Violent Protest in the Quarterfinal Against Tunisia
During the Africa Cup of Nations 2004 held in Tunisia, the Senegalese national team faced the Tunisian team in the quarterfinal on February 7 at the 7th of November Stadium in Tunisia. The match ended with Tunisia winning 1-0 with a goal from Jawhar Manari in the 65th minute. However, the match witnessed violent protests from the Senegalese side, as players believed a Tunisian goal should have been disallowed due to a foul on player El-Hadji Diouf before the goal.
Diouf led the protests, surrounding referee Ali BouJCIM from the United Arab Emirates with a group of players. Players and coaches rushed from the bench onto the field, requiring the intervention of security guards in orange uniforms to separate the two teams. A red flare was also thrown from the stands near the Senegal bench, increasing the tension.
These events did not lead to the suspension of the match, but raised criticism regarding the conduct of the players and fans, serving as an early indication of refereeing issues in the tournament.
2012: Fan Riots in the 2013 Qualifiers Against Ivory Coast
One of the most prominent incidents in Senegal’s history was in the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations 2013, where the national team faced Ivory Coast in the return match in the final round on October 13, 2012, at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium in Dakar.
Senegal was trailing 0-2 (and 6-2 overall) when Didier Drogba scored his second goal from a penalty in the 78th minute. This incited the anger of Senegalese fans, who began to set fires in the stands and throw stones, bottles, and fireworks onto the field.
Police used tear gas to control the situation, and Ivory Coast fans fled onto the field for safety. The match was halted for 40 minutes before ultimately being abandoned.
As a result, the African Confederation decided to disqualify Senegal from the tournament, awarding Ivory Coast a 2-0 victory, and imposing penalties on the Senegalese federation.
Ten people were injured, including the Senegalese Minister of Sports, and the incident was deemed “unfortunate” by Senegalese officials.
The Laser in the Final Against Egypt (Africa Cup of Nations 2021)
In the final of the Africa Cup of Nations 2021 (which was held in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) on February 6 in Cameroon, Senegal faced Egypt in a match that ended with Senegal winning 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw. However, the match was surrounded by significant controversy due to Senegalese fans using green laser beams to distract Egyptian players, especially Mohamed Salah during the penalty shootout.
Videos showed lasers being directed straight at the eyes of Egyptian goalkeeper Mohammed Abu Gabal and other players, raising international criticism regarding player safety and fair play.
The International Federation (FIFA) imposed a fine of 175,000 Swiss francs on the Senegalese federation due to fan disturbances, although the incident was similar to what happened in the World Cup qualifiers later.
This incident was termed a “scandal,” and some parties called for deeper investigations to prevent its recurrence.
2025: The Protest Withdrawal in the Final Against Morocco
In the final of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 held in Morocco, Senegal faced the host Moroccan team on January 18 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. The match concluded with Senegal winning 1-0 in extra time with a goal from Bamba Dieng, but it witnessed great chaos in the 98th minute of regular time when referee Jean-Jacques Ndala from the Democratic Republic of Congo awarded a penalty to Morocco after reviewing VAR for a foul on Brahim Diaz.
Coach Pape Thiaw protested and ordered his players to withdraw from the field, resulting in a 14-minute stoppage of the match. Meanwhile, Senegalese fans clashed with security personnel, using chairs as weapons, and some rushed onto the field, necessitating the intervention of riot police.
The African Confederation condemned the “unacceptable” behavior, and the International Federation is reviewing reports, with the possibility of sanctions including fines or suspensions for the coach and players.
The incident led to the arrest of 19 individuals, with threats of penalties reaching life imprisonment in some cases.
Despite Senegal’s achievements in the Africa Cup of Nations, these incidents reveal recurring issues such as protests against refereeing and fan violence, harming the continent’s image and showing a “deliberate” attempt to disrupt the event unless it is in favor of this national team.
