(What CAF Suspending Senegal’s Coach Teaches African Entrepreneurs)
The AFCON final was hot. The refereeing was hotter. And emotions? They were on full ELECTRICTY overload.
Senegal scores late. Goal disallowed. VAR enters like a nosy aunt at a family meeting. Penalty to Morocco.
Next thing we know, Senegal’s head coach, Pape Thiaw, tells the boys: “Leave the pitch.”
Boots off. Tempers high. Dressing room vibes.
For about 15 minutes, African football almost turned into a protest march.
Eventually, Sadio Mané the calm uncle in the WhatsApp group convinces everyone to come back. Senegal wins. Trophy lifted. History made.
But CAF said: “Congratulations… but consequences are waiting in the parking lot.”
And boom the coach gets suspended.
Not because Senegal won. Not because the ref was wrong or right. But because emotion overruled leadership.
Now let’s talk business because this story is not about football.
1. EMOTION IS EXPENSIVE
In business, emotion is like buying fuel at midnight you’ll pay double and still regret it.
The coach felt cheated. He felt disrespected. He felt justified.
But leadership is not about how you feel it’s about how you respond.
How many African businesses have collapsed because:
• A founder fired a key employee in anger • A partner dissolved a company over ego • A CEO sent an emotional WhatsApp voice note instead of a legal letter
That one emotional moment can cost you years of progress.
Lesson: Pause. Breathe. Count to ten. Never make million-dollar decisions with village-meeting emotions.
2. RULES DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS
CAF didn’t suspend the coach because Senegal embarrassed them. They suspended him because rules were broken.
In business, the law works the same way.
ZIMRA doesn’t care that cash-flow is tight. Banks don’t care that customers delayed payment. Contracts don’t care that “we trust each other.”
Rules are cold. Regulations are heartless. Compliance has no mercy.
You may be morally right and legally wrong and that’s the most expensive position to occupy.
Lesson: Understand the rules of the game before you play hero.
3. LEADERSHIP IS WHAT YOU DO UNDER PRESSURE
Anyone can lead when things are smooth. Leadership shows up when VAR is involved.
The coach chose protest. Mané chose composure.
Guess who protected the team’s future?
In business, your staff watches you during crisis:
• When sales drop • When a big client leaves • When the regulator knocks • When social media turns against you
If you panic, they panic. If you rage, they scatter. If you walk off, they lose direction.
Lesson: Your reaction teaches more than your motivational speeches.
4. SHORT-TERM VICTORY CAN CREATE LONG-TERM DAMAGE
Yes, Senegal won the match. But the coach may now miss critical future fixtures.
In business, this happens when:
• You win an argument but lose a partner • You squeeze a supplier and destroy a relationship • You avoid tax today and inherit penalties tomorrow
Winning the moment is easy. Protecting the future is harder.
Lesson: Ask yourself: “Will this decision still make sense next year?”
5. SOMETIMES THE REAL CEO IS NOT THE ONE WITH THE TITLE
Let’s be honest.
The calmest leader on that pitch wasn’t on the bench it was Sadio Mané.
Every business has one:
• The employee who stabilizes chaos • The partner who cools tempers • The manager who saves the company quietly
Smart leaders listen to those people. Weak leaders silence them.
Lesson: Leadership is influence, not position.
FINAL TAKEAWAY FOR AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURS
Football is emotional. Business is emotional. Life is emotional.
But success** **belongs to those who manage emotion, not those ruled by it.
If you walk off every time things don’t go your way, CAF won’t suspend you but the market will.
And unlike CAF, the market doesn’t issue press statements. It just replaces you.
Control your emotions. Respect the rules. Lead under pressure. Protect the future.
That’s the real trophy.
If pressure is costing you deals, people, or progress, it’s time to replace emotion with structure. We assist with sales training, entrepreneurship coaching, leadership development, and strategy formulation that help founders and teams make clear decisions under pressure. Get in touch and build a business that thinks before it reacts. +263 77 961 9739 | +260 972 936 033
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