FIFA President Gianni Infantino has issued a strong condemnation of the conduct of some members of the Senegal national football team after a controversial and chaotic Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final on Sunday that saw the players stage a walkout in protest and the match delayed before eventually concluding with a Senegal victory.
Senegal defeated hosts Morocco 1-0 in the final at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, dramatically securing the AFCON title with a goal in extra time by midfielder Pape Gueye. The match, however, was overshadowed by a series of contentious events late in regulation time that drew widespread criticism from football authorities.
The trouble began in injury time with the score still goalless when the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) awarded a penalty to Morocco following a review of an incident involving winger Brahim Díaz in the penalty area. In reaction, most Senegal players walked off the pitch in protest, believing that a Senegal goal had been wrongly disallowed minutes earlier and that the penalty decision was unjust. Only a handful of Senegalese players, including captain Sadio Mané, remained on the field and implored their teammates to return so that the match could continue. 
Play was halted for nearly 20 minutes amid the walkout and growing tension among supporters in the stands. Eventually, play resumed, and Díaz’s penalty attempt, a panenka effort, was comfortably saved by Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, with the match proceeding into extra time. Shortly into the added period, Senegal secured the title with Gueye’s decisive strike.
In a statement forwarded to the media and attributed to Agence France-Presse (AFP), FIFA President Infantino condemned “unacceptable scenes” involving some Senegalese players and technical staff for abandoning the field of play in protest. Infantino emphasised that leaving the pitch in such a manner undermines the integrity of the sport, and he reiterated that violence has no place in football. 
“We strongly condemn the behaviour of some supporters as well as some Senegalese players and technical staff members. It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner,” Infantino said, underscoring that teams must respect the decisions of match officials and comply with the Laws of the Game regardless of disagreement. He also warned that the images from the final send the wrong message to fans watching around the world. 
Infantino extended congratulations to Morocco as runners-up and hosts of what he described as a “fantastic tournament”, while stressing that such incidents must not be repeated, particularly with the men’s FIFA World Cup finals scheduled later this year. He stated that he expects the Confederation of African Football (CAF) disciplinary bodies to take appropriate action against those found responsible for the misconduct. 
This AFCON has faced increased scrutiny regarding match officiating and organizational issues. Tensions over refereeing decisions have been escalating throughout the tournament, with several teams expressing concerns about fairness in earlier matches.
In the Vietnamese press conference after the match, Senegal coach Pape Thiaw was jeered by journalists and ultimately exited the briefing early, further highlighting the intensity of emotions following the final. His decision to order players off the pitch may now form part of the disciplinary review. 
Samuel Aina