The African Football Confederation (CAF) has taken action following the final between Senegal and Morocco. In an interview with Source A, former Lions coach Amara Traoré criticizes what he sees as disproportionate decisions, particularly against Senegal’s national team coach, Pape Thiaw.
The former coach offers his unwavering support to the successor of Aliou Cissé. He believes that the five-match suspension handed to Pape Thiaw is excessively harsh. According to him, the Senegalese coach’s reaction was primarily human and driven by the feeling of injustice experienced on the pitch.
“As the primary responsible party, he strongly contested the injustice. At that moment, you don’t think about the punishment, you think about your team,” reminds Amara Traoré.
He also points out an imbalance in the sanctions imposed by the continental body. He is surprised that Senegal received a heavier penalty than Morocco, the host country of the competition, while responsibilities seem, in his view, shared: “I could understand if Senegal and Morocco had the same sanctions, or even more for Morocco. There were things that were not right,” he states.
Despite these off-field tensions, Amara Traoré looks to the future. Confident in the possibility of an appeal that could lead to a reduction of the sanctions, he emphasizes the need to maintain the winner’s momentum of the Lions. For the interviewee, it’s time for calm preparation for upcoming challenges, especially the 2026 World Cup, scheduled from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
