Africa Cup of Nations final descends into chaos
The Africa Cup of Nations final descended into chaos as Senegal’s entire squad abandoned the pitch in protest following a contentious late penalty decision in favour of hosts Morocco, reports BritPanorama.
Head coach Pape Thiaw signalled for his players to leave the field after referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded the spot kick to Morocco deep into stoppage time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The extraordinary scenes saw Senegalese players initially gather near their bench before several walked down the tunnel, refusing to continue the match. Former Nigeria striker Efan Ekoku, commentating on E4, expressed his disapproval: “You cannot do that. However aggrieved you feel at it you have got to let the referee and the rules… I have got some sympathy, but this is not a good look.”
The penalty was awarded after Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz went down under a challenge from El Hadji Malick Diouf during a Morocco corner, with the defender appearing to have his hands around the forward’s neck as the ball entered the box. Referee Ndala consulted the VAR monitor before pointing to the spot, a decision that sparked fury among the Senegalese players and staff.
Their anger was compounded by prior events when Ismaïla Sarr had headed home from close range following Idrissa Gueye’s effort striking the post, only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul on Achraf Hakimi in the build-up. Ekoku described the penalty decision as “soft” and added: “To say this was controversial is an understatement.”
Captain Sadio Mane remained on the pitch as his teammates departed, initially staying out rather than joining them in the dressing room. He then signalled for his colleagues to return, sprinting towards the tunnel to convince them to come back out. After several minutes of uncertainty, the Senegalese players eventually emerged to boos from the home crowd, with Morocco’s players attempting to persuade them to continue. The delay lasted approximately 17 minutes before the penalty could finally be taken, during which Senegal’s goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was shown a yellow card as tensions simmered.
Former Nigeria captain Mikel John Obi commented: “I can understand their frustration. But walking off the pitch is not what I want to see.” Diaz stepped up to take the spot kick but attempted an audacious Panenka, chipping the ball gently down the centre of the goal. Mendy, however, stood his ground and comfortably gathered the weak effort into his gloves. Ekoku expressed disbelief over Diaz’s choice: “What is Brahim Diaz doing? What is he doing? I cannot believe he has done that. Too clever for his own good.”
The miss meant the match remained goalless and headed into extra time, with the final whistle blown in the 114th minute after 24 minutes of added time. Former Nigeria forward Daniel Amokachi described the scenes as “a true shame for African football after an incredible tournament and game.”
