Senegal might be celebrating their Africa Cup of Nations victory but will anxiously await possible sanctions for their walk-off during Sunday’s final against Morocco.

Senegal staged a lengthy protest after a penalty awarded in the dying stages of the game to hosts Morocco after a VAR review, walking off the pitch before returning to continue.

Morocco squandered the penalty, taking the match to extra time where Senegal scored to win 1-0 and emerge victorious for a second time in the last three Cup of Nations editions.

But their actions have been widely condemned, including by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the Confederation of African Football. Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw, who ordered his players off, and some of those who went to the changing room can expect to face disciplinary charges.

With a trip to the World Cup next for Senegal, they will be concerned the manager and key players could be suspended for matches at the finals in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. in June.

Senegal’s opening two games against France and Norway are in New York.

Thiaw has expressed belated regret for his actions, although a chance to address the post-match press conference after Sunday’s final was quickly ended when he was jeered by Moroccan journalists.

But in a television interview, he said: “I don’t want to dwell on the events of the match. In hindsight, I really shouldn’t have told my players to come off.

“I apologise for the sake of football. After further consideration, I brought them back on. We know what happens behind the scenes,” he added, referring to conspiracy theories around hosts Morocco being favoured by the referee.

“We can react in the heat of the moment, and we must also ask ourselves whether that was a penalty? Now, we accept the referee’s mistakes; it can happen. We shouldn’t have done it, but it’s done. Now, we apologise to football.”

CAF said it was reviewing footage and that disciplinary proceedings will follow, adding that it “condemns the unacceptable behaviour from some players and officials.”

“CAF is reviewing all footage and will refer the matter to competent bodies for appropriate action to be taken against those found guilty,” African football’s governing body said in a statement on Monday.

Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques has revealed that Babar Azam was upset and needed several days to move on after Steve Smith denied him a single during his side’s must-win Big Bash League (BBL) 15 fixture.

During the Sydney Sixers’ clash against Brisbane Heat on Sunday, 18 January, Smith was keen to capitalize on the Power Surge over. Babar nudged the last ball of the 11th over to long on, but Smith opted not to run.

In the next over, Smith accumulated a record 32 runs from the over, including four sixes in a row.

Babar was dismissed in the next over and appeared visibly frustrated, striking the boundary cushion with his bat as he made his way back to the pavilion.

The ace batter remained in the dressing room for the remainder of the game and did not rejoin his teammates when players mingled on the outfield after the game.

Speaking ahead of the Sixers’ qualifier against Perth Scorchers, Henriques admitted that the incident took time to settle.

“It took a couple of days for that to settle down,” Henriques told Fox Cricket. “To be honest, think it’s just a bit of a misunderstanding of the culture of each other, ” he added.

The skipper explained that such on-field decisions are common in Australian cricket culture and that Babar initially struggled to relate to it.

“It’s a pretty common thing in our culture, and maybe for him (Babar), he wasn’t used to it and didn’t quite understand.

Once it was explained to him, he was absolutely fine. They’ve kissed and made up, and it’s two of the greats back friendly again,” Henriques revealed.

He also confirmed that he, along with Sixers coach Greg Shipperd, spoke to Babar to help him move on from the incident.

“[We are] always trying to understand…we could visibly see he was quite upset with what happened on the field, so we needed to try and understand why he felt that way. Once we got to the bottom of it, it was okay,” he explained.

For the unversed, Babar Azam has endured a lean run in the tournament, managing just 202 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 103.06.

His poor run continued in the qualifier, where he was dismissed for a two-ball duck during the Sixers’ chase of 148 against the Scorchers in the BBL Qualifier.

Morocco have achieved their highest FIFA men’s world ranking, rising to eighth, despite losing the Africa Cup of Nations final to Senegal, who climbed to 12th on Monday.

Morocco were by Senegal in the decider in Rabat on Sunday, but the hosts had a chance to win the trophy with a last-gasp penalty at the end of regulation time.

However, Brahim Diaz squandered the kick after having to wait some 14 minutes for the Senegal players to return, as they walked off the field to protest the penalty decision.

Morocco moved up three spots in the January ranking to eighth. The 2022 World Cup semi-finalists’ previous best was 10th in April 1998.

The highest ranking achieved by an African team was Nigeria’s fifth in April 1994, while Egypt posted the best ranking among Arab nations when they reached ninth in July 2010.

Champions Senegal, who emerged victorious for a second time in the last three editions, moved up seven spots to reach their highest-ever ranking. Their previous best was 17th, achieved in 2024.

The AFCON results have had a huge impact on the ranking of African teams, as several positions have shifted.

Bronze medallists Nigeria (26th) were the team that gained the most points, collecting 79.09 points to move up 12 spots, the same as Cameroon (45th), making them the biggest climbers.

Egypt, who reached the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, climbed four places to 31st, three spots behind Algeria.

Gabon, who were eliminated in the group stage, lost 44.97 points to become the team that lost the most points, dropping to 86th. Equatorial Guinea, meanwhile, suffered the biggest fall, sliding 10 spots to 107th.

European champions Spain kept top spot, ahead of World Cup holders Argentina. France are third, followed by England, Brazil, Portugal and the Netherlands, with no change in the ranking of the top seven teams.

New Zealand’s preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup suffered a setback with fast bowler Adam Milne and all-rounder Michael Bracewell sustaining injuries ahead of the global showpiece taking place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.

Milne injured his left hamstring while bowling for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 on Sunday and is currently being assessed, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said in a statement on Tuesday.

Bracewell suffered a left calf strain while fielding in the third and final one-day international against India in Indore on Sunday.

“Bracewell will be treated and monitored over the coming days before a decision on his further involvement in the tour is confirmed,” the NZC said.

All-rounder Kristian Clarke has been added to the squad as cover for their first three T20 Internationals of the five-match series against India beginning on Wednesday.

“We’ve got a fair bit of player movement at the moment with some guys returning from injury for this series, others joining us immediately from franchise cricket and the rest coming off the India ODI series,” coach Rob Walter said.

“We want to ensure we’ve got enough pace-bowling options for the first three games of this series and it’s a great opportunity for Kristian to stay on with the group a little longer on his first tour of India.

“He certainly showcased his talent in the ODI series, but what was particularly impressive was his calmness and ability to perform under pressure.”

New Zealand will begin their World Cup campaign in Group D against Afghanistan in Chennai on February 8.

Janice Tjen called it “special” after she pulled off an upset to become the first Indonesian to win a match at the Australian Open in 28 years on Tuesday.

Unseeded Tjen stunned Canadian 22nd seed Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) to surge into the second round in Melbourne and add to her growing list of milestones.

Tjen, who this time last year was ranked 413 but is now the world number 59, is the first Indonesian to win a match at a major since Yayuk Basuki in 1998.

“I’m very happy to be a part of history and be able to get a win here for Indonesia,” said the 23-year-old.

“It was special, especially being able to do it in front of my family here and there were a lot of Indonesians, and my close friends are also here.”

Asked by AFP how her life had changed off court since a breakthrough in 2025, she said: “I get recognised a little bit here and there, and I think it’s nice, it’s a nice feeling to be recognised.”

In front of the vocal Indonesian fans, Tjen made a lightning start, sealing the first set in 36 minutes to leave her higher-ranked opponent from Canada reeling.

Tjen seized an early break in the second set to put 2021 US Open runner-up Fernandez immediately on the back foot.

The fourth game of the second set threatened to be pivotal, Tjen digging herself out of a hole on her own serve to hold and go 3-1 up.

The 23-year-old Fernandez fought back, reeling off three games in a row to turn the tide.

The battling duo headed into a tiebreak, where Tjen powered into a 3-0 lead and never looked back, letting out a mighty roar when victory was confirmed.

Tjen’s career took off in 2025.

She pulled off another surprise in upsetting Russian 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova as a qualifier at the US Open.

In New York, she was the first Indonesian to play in the main singles draw of a Grand Slam since 2004.

The Jakarta native lifted the title in Chennai last year — the first Indonesian to win a WTA Tour singles crown since 2002.

Reflecting on the support in Melbourne of Indonesian fans waving their red and white flag and chanting, Tjen said: “It’s something special and feels a little bit like home.

“Knowing that a lot of Indonesians came out to support me today means a lot.”