“Livescore’s indefinite suspension post is false and misleading.”

On January 19, an X (formerly Twitter) post by LiveScore, a company specializing in football results created mixed reactions from football fans.

Claim

Posting from the handle @livescore, the popular account with 545,000 followers and 494 following claimed the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had handed an indefinite suspension to Pape Thiaw, Coach of Senegal’s national football team after he ordered his players to stage a pitch walkout. The coach was angered by a controversial penalty which had been awarded to Morocco in the final game of the African Cup of Nations.

According to the post, CAF’s decision was informed by Pape Thiaw’s marching order to his players in objection to the contentious penalty the host country had been awarded. Livescore posted: “Pape Thiaw has been suspended indefinitely by CAF,” adding that “the decision follows his order for Senegal’s players to leave the pitch in protest of the controversial penalty award.” 

Understandably, the post received considerable attention. At 8:33 PM of the same day it went live, it had received 435,000 views, 751 reposts, 169 quotes and 7,241 likes. Furthermore, it received 253 bookmarks from viewers, with many football fans believing the news to be true.

Verification

Some football followers and journalists saw the need to engage with the post, with many discrediting the story.  Osasu Obayiuwana, formerly a FIFA Anti-Racism Taskforce member was quick to react. From the handle @osasuo on X (formerly Twitter), The Guardian (UK) sportswriter wrote: “FAKE NEWS. @CAFOnline’s Disciplinary Committee is yet to sit and examine the events of the #AFCON2025 final.”

A quick search at https://www.x.com/CAF_Online, CAF’s official X account, provided no news of the purported indefinite suspension as at the time Livescore made its viral post.

CAF Reacts

This reporter contacted CAF and a response had not been received at the time of filing this report. However, the continental football body clarified issues on its official website, www.cafonline.com. On January 28, CAF wrote: “CAF Disciplinary Board imposes sanctions on the Federation Senegalaise de Football (FSF), the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).” The release clarified that the football body’s Disciplinary Board resolved “to suspend Mr. Pape Bouna Thiaw, the Head Coach of the Senegalese National Team for five (5) official CAF matches for his unsporting conduct in violation of the CAF Disciplinary Code principles of fair play and integrity and for bringing the game into disrepute.” 

Verdict 

The indefinite suspension ban attributed to CAF does not exist. For now, it remains in the imagination of the popular X account that posted it. The fact of the matter is that CAF only handed Pape Bouna Thiaw a limited suspension. The media release on CAF’s official website points to the fact that Livescore’s indefinite suspension post is false and misleading.