By Adedapo Adesanya

The Disciplinary Board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has imposed a series of sanctions on the Senegal and Morocco as well as some players and officials, following conducts believed to be inappropriate at the dramatic 2025 African Cup of Nations final nearly two weeks ago.

In a statement posted on its website on Wednesday night, CAF said the sanctions were handed down for violations of its Disciplinary Code, including breaches of the principles of fair play, loyalty and integrity, during and after the final match.

As part of the decisions against Senegal, CAF suspended the head coach of the Senegalese national team, Pape Bouna Thiaw, for five official CAF matches for his “unsporting conduct” and “for bringing the game into disrepute.”

“Mr Pape Bouna Thiaw was also fined $100,000,” a part of the statement read.

Recall that Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 in the January 18 final in Rabat that was delayed for over 14 minutes after a controversial penalty was awarded in the dying minutes of the game, triggering the Senegalese coach to instruct his team to leave the pitch.

CAF also decided to “suspend the Senegalese national team player, Mr Iliman Cheikh Baroy Ndiaye for two official CAF matches, for his unsporting behaviour towards the referee.

“To suspend Senegalese national team player, Mr Ismaila Sarr for two official CAF matches for his unsporting behaviour towards the referee.

“To fine the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), $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.

“To fine the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), $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. The unsporting conduct of their players and the technical staff also brought the game into disrepute.

“To fine the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), $15,000 for the misconduct of its national team, due to five of its players having received cautions.”

With regard to Morocco, CAF suspended national team defender, Achraf Hakimi, for two official CAF matches, with one of the matches suspended for one year from the date of the decision, for unsporting behaviour. Also, PSV Midfielder Ismaël Saibari was suspended for three official CAF matches and fined $100,000 for the same offence.

The Morocco team was fined $200,000 for the inappropriate behaviour of stadium ball boys during the final.

CAF also imposed a fine of $100,000 on the Moroccan federation for the improper conduct of its players and technical staff, who invaded the VAR review area and obstructed the referee’s work.

An additional fine of $15,000 was issued for the use of lasers by Moroccan supporters during the match.

Meanwhile, CAF also ruled on a protest lodged by Morocco concerning alleged violations of Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations by the Senegal national team.

“The CAF Disciplinary Board rejected the protest lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football regarding alleged violations by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations, relating to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Final,” the statement added.

An interview with Maxime Lebail, Brand Manager at ChampsBase.com, on regulatory challenges, local trust signals, and why the African iGaming market requires a different approach.

The online gambling industry in Africa is booming. With increasing smartphone penetration, a young population, and evolving regulatory frameworks, markets like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa have become prime targets for international operators. But as the sector grows, so does the need for reliable, localised information.

We sat down with Maxime Lebail, Brand Manager at ChampsBase.com, a multilingual gambling comparison platform, to discuss the unique challenges of building trust in emerging markets and why a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work.

BusinessPost: ChampsBase is relatively new to the African market. What made you decide to expand here?

Maxime Lebail: Honestly, it started with frustration. When we looked at the gambling comparison space in markets like Nigeria, we found two extremes — either global platforms that barely acknowledged local realities, or local sites with questionable editorial standards. There was a gap for something in between: rigorous, research-driven content that actually speaks to Nigerian players specifically.

The African market isn’t a monolith. A player in Lagos has different needs, different payment habits, different concerns than someone in Nairobi or Johannesburg. We wanted to build something that reflected that.

BP: What does “localisation” actually mean in practice? Is it just about translation?

ML: Translation is maybe five percent of the work. Real localisation means understanding what builds trust in a specific market.

Take Nigeria as an example. Bank transfers and USSD payments matter far more than credit cards. Players want to know if an operator has a local presence, if withdrawals actually work, if customer support understands their issues. These aren’t things you can fake or copy from a European template.

We’ve spent considerable time analysing which operators genuinely serve Nigerian players well — not just who has the flashiest welcome bonus. That research feeds directly into resources like our guide to the best betting sites in Nigeria, which we update regularly based on real user feedback and our own testing.

BP: The regulatory landscape in Africa is fragmented, to say the least. How do you navigate that?

ML: It’s complex, and I won’t pretend otherwise. Nigeria has made significant progress with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, but enforcement remains inconsistent across states. Other markets are even more ambiguous.

Our approach is conservative. We only feature operators that hold valid licences in the jurisdictions they operate in. If the regulatory status is unclear, we flag it explicitly. Players deserve to know the risks.

I think there’s a tendency in this industry to chase growth at any cost, but that creates long-term problems — for players and for the industry’s reputation. We’d rather build slowly and maintain credibility.

BP: You mentioned trust earlier. Gambling comparison sites don’t always have the best reputation. How do you address that scepticism?

ML: By being transparent about how we operate. Yes, we earn commissions when players sign up through our links — that’s the affiliate model, and we don’t hide it. But editorial independence is non-negotiable.

Every review follows the same methodology. We test registration processes, deposit and withdrawal speeds, customer support responsiveness, bonus terms — the boring stuff that actually matters. If an operator performs poorly, we say so, even if they’re a commercial partner.

I’ve been in this industry for over a decade, mostly focused on European markets like Portugal. The operators who succeed long-term are those who treat players fairly. The same principle applies to comparison platforms.

BP: What differences have you noticed between European and African players in terms of behaviour or expectations?

ML: Mobile is everything here. In Portugal or France, desktop still has a significant share. In Nigeria, we’re talking about ninety percent mobile traffic, often on lower-bandwidth connections. That changes how we structure content — shorter paragraphs, faster-loading pages, information hierarchy optimised for small screens.

There’s also a different relationship with sports. Football is universal, but the depth of engagement with local leagues, with the Premier League, with betting as a social activity — it’s intense in ways that European markets have somewhat lost. That passion is exciting, but it also means we have a responsibility to promote responsible gambling practices clearly.

BP: Speaking of responsible gambling, that’s often treated as an afterthought in emerging markets. What’s ChampsBase’s position?

ML: It can’t be an afterthought. We include responsible gambling information in every guide, every review. We explain how self-exclusion works, how to set deposit limits, where to find help if gambling stops being fun.

Is it glamorous content? No. Does it generate clicks? Not really. But it’s the right thing to do, and regulators across Africa are increasingly paying attention to this. Operators and affiliates who ignore responsible gambling now will face problems later.

BP: What’s next for ChampsBase in Africa?

ML: Deeper coverage of more markets — Kenya and South Africa are priorities for this year. We’re also investing in more educational content. Not everyone who visits a comparison site is an experienced bettor. Many are curious newcomers who need guidance on basics: how odds work, how to verify an operator’s licence, how to manage a betting budget.

If we can be the platform that helps someone make informed decisions rather than impulsive ones, we’ve done our job.

Maxime Lebail is the Brand Manager at ChampsBase.com, a multilingual gambling comparison platform covering regulated markets in Europe, Latin America, and Africa.