The scenes that marred the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between Morocco and Senegal were "deplorable” and "painful,” Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said Monday, as the Confederation of African Football weighs possible sanctions against Senegal.
The controversy followed a VAR-awarded penalty that prompted Senegal’s players to briefly walk off the pitch in protest before returning to secure a 1-0 extra-time victory over host Morocco.
Tensions spilled into the stands when a group of Senegalese supporters clashed with Moroccan security while attempting to enter the pitch after the disputed decision. Moroccan authorities arrested 18 Senegalese fans, who are set to stand trial over the disturbances.
In the aftermath of the final, social media users in both countries traded accusations, further fueling tensions between the two sides.
Speaking at the opening of a Moroccan-Senegalese joint commission in Rabat one week after the final, Sonko said his visit came in a context "charged with sporting emotion, deplorable misconduct and images that have at times been painful for two peoples deeply bound to one another.”
"The misbehavior observed here and there should neither be denied nor dramatized,” he said.
The incidents "should be understood as emotional excesses fueled by passion, rather than as political or cultural rifts,” Sonko added, marking the first time a senior Senegalese official has addressed the African Cup of Nations final in those terms, ahead of possible disciplinary measures by CAF.
The Moroccan football federation said it was pursuing legal action with CAF and FIFA following the incidents. CAF said it would take "appropriate action” after reviewing the match, while FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemned the behavior of Senegal’s players and members of the coaching staff.
Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye congratulated the team in Dakar and thanked Morocco for organizing the tournament. Senegal is among Morocco’s closest allies on the continent, backing Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory, where it operates a consulate.
Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said at the same event that centuries-old ties with Senegal remain strong, but he did not congratulate Senegal on its African Cup of Nations title. King Mohammed VI said the tournament was a success for Africa and that the "regrettable incidents” that marred the final would not undermine African fraternity.