The Moroccan Football Federation has been fined $200,000 by CAF for events involving ball boys at the Africa Cup of Nations final. These incidents caused chaos at the tournament’s end in Rabat and overshadowed the football match.
The CAF Disciplinary Board sanctioned the situation after determining that the stadium ball boys’ behavior during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Final violated the CAF Disciplinary Code.
The Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) received the fine, as CAF stated they were responsible for the events that occurred during the game.
The championship match at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium was already tense and controversial, but further disruption came from repeated interference with Senegal’s goalie Edouard Mendy’s towel during breaks.
Although he didn’t play, Senegal’s backup keeper Yehvann Diouf became a key figure in the unfolding drama.
Guarding Mendy’s towel was crucial for the 26-year-old during the match, especially in the torrential weather that forced the Senegal goalkeeper to constantly dry his gloves.
However, this routine was repeatedly broken as Moroccan ball boys and flag bearers were seen trying to take or throw out the towel during breaks. Earlier in the tournament, Morocco’s semi-final win against Nigeria showed similar behavior.
For the entire 120 minutes, Diouf stayed near the sideline, repeatedly grabbing the towel.
At one point, video evidence showed the Senegal goalkeeper being tackled and dragged across the grass by three ball boys. Other footage captured him escaping the touchline to stop additional interference.
In footage from later in the game, Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi was seen throwing one of Senegal’s towels over an advertising board. This action further heightened the tension in a final that was already close to boiling over.
The incident was met with humor by Diouf after Senegal’s win. He posted a picture of his winner’s medal and the famous towel on Instagram, adding a love-struck and a crying-laughing emoji. He captioned it, “There it is – the medal and the towel.”
After an investigation at its Wednesday meeting, CAF’s Disciplinary Board issued a significant fine, attributing it to the actions of the ball boys during the final.
The board decided to impose a $200,000 fine on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) for the improper conduct of the ball boys during the match.
The contentious moments occurred during a dramatic final, which was eventful both on and off the field. Pape Gueye’s remarkable solo goal in the fourth minute of extra time ultimately clinched the title for Senegal.
But this pivotal point arose when Senegal, at the behest of head coach Pape Thiaw, temporarily halted the game.
In the final moments of the second half, Thiaw was enraged when referee Jean Jacques Ndala disallowed a Senegal goal and then granted Morocco a penalty in the 98th minute.
Despite his team’s objections, former Liverpool attacker Sadio Mane stayed on the field and was key in getting his teammates back after a 17-minute delay.
Morocco had a chance to win the championship once play restarted, but Brahim Diaz, a Real Madrid player and the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals, failed to convert the penalty with a chip shot. With CAF’s disciplinary decision, a conclusion is reached for one of the most chaotic AFCON finals ever.
