ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, (BCC):– Morocco coach Walid Regragui has been suspended for four games and fined $5,000 (Sh813,000) by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Two matches of his ban have been suspended for a year, but the 48-year-old missed Morocco’s final Group F game against Zambia at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals on Wednesday.
Regragui will also miss their last-16 game against South Africa on Tuesday (20:00 GMT) unless an appeal by the Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) is successful.
The sanctions relate to post-match incidents following Morocco’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo on Sunday.
In a statement, the RMFF described Caf’s decision as “incomprehensible” because of “the fact that coach Regragui did not violate the values of fair play”.
A Caf disciplinary board also fined DR Congo’s football association and the RMFF $20,000 (Sh3,3mn) each following the incidents but did not publicly explain its decisions.
The match between Morocco and DR Congo at the Stade Laurent Pokou in San Pedro was a tense affair, as scuffles broke out between both sets of players following the full-time whistle.
The RMFF was also handed an additional $10,000 (Sh1.6mn) fine for the use of smoke bombs by Morocco supporters during the match, although half of the amount is suspended.
Morocco were already assured of a place in the knock-out stages before beating Zambia 1-0 in San Pedro to top Group F, with assistant Rachid Benmahmoud replacing Regragui on the touchline.
The Atlas Lions came into Afcon 2023 as one of the favourites for the title after becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final at Qatar 2022.
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