The 44-year-old coach, who was appointed coach of the Lions of Teranga to replace Aliou Cissé in 2024, found himself in hot soup with the African body following incidents that ensued during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Morocco.
The final played at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat was interrupted for over fifteen minutes, as Senegal attempted to leave the pitch following refereeing decisions by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo.
Thiaw in particular was seen gesturing to his players to walk out after the host nation was awarded a penalty with only a few seconds remaining to the final whistle.
However, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved Brahim Diaz’s attempted panenka kick forcing the final beyond the 90 minutes. Senegal took advantage of the missed penalty as Papa Gueye scored what turned out to be the winner.
On Thursday, CAF issued sanctions with Thiaw, who played for several clubs in France, Switzerland and Spain, as well as Dynamo Moscow in Russia on a six-month loan from Strasbourg, being handed a five match ban, and a fine of USD 100,000.
Senegal will not abandon Thiaw
Through the Ministry of Sports, Senegal have now come out to state they will not abandon Thiaw following the ban, and further hinted at increasing his salary after achieving the main objective of winning the AFCON.
“We regret these sanctions. I spoke with the president of the Senegalese Football Federation (Abdoulaye Fall), and he gave me an update on the situation,” said Khady Diene Gaye, Minister of Sports, as quoted by Wiwsport.com.
“Pape Thiaw is Senegalese, a patriot. He has ardently defended his country, the colors of Senegal. He is our national team coach, so we are all behind him and with him. We will do everything in our power, both at the Federation level and at the Ministry of Sports, to defend him. We will not abandon him.”
Thiaw will serve his suspension during the upcoming qualifiers for the next Africa Cup of Nations, but will be available to coach the Lions of Teranga at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by sixteen cities - eleven in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada from June 11.
‘You don’t change winning team’
Asked about Thiaw’s future, Diene Gaye said: “Is there a possibility of a salary increase for the coach? Yes, I confirm it here. He achieved his objectives by qualifying the team for the World Cup and winning the Africa Cup of Nations.
“You don't change a winning team, do you? So, we will try to continue with him. And for this continuity, and it is the case to whoever that does great things, achieves great things for the country.”
She added: “We're going to review the initial contract. There was a clause in his contract that stipulated not just reaching the AFCON final, but winning the cup.
“Since we aspire to win the first world trophy, to be the first African country to win the World Cup, we need to put our coach in optimal conditions for performance, so he can have peace of mind, without financial worries or day-to-day concerns.”
Apart from Thiaw, CAF further sanctioned Senegal players - Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr - for two (2) CAF matches for unsporting behaviour towards the referee.
The Senegalese Federation was not spared by CAF. The African body has imposed Senegal FA with a fine of USD 300,000 for the improper conduct of its supporters, which brought the game into disrepute in violation of the CAF Disciplinary Code principles of fair play and integrity.
The Senegalese FA was fined USD 300,000 for the unsporting conduct of their players and technical staff in violation of the CAF Disciplinary Code principles of fair play, loyalty and integrity.
