Category World News

Senegal stormed off the field to protest a penalty that was given to them before winning the tournament with a 1-0 extra-time win over Morocco. The match was marred by bizarre scenes in the final.

After Morocco’s star player Brahim Diaz wasted the chance to win it with a last-gasp penalty in normal time following a 14-minute delay, midfielder Pape Gueye scored the 94th-minute winner on Sunday.

Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw gave his players an ultimatum before convincing them to come back.

Five minutes into stoppage time, Senegal full-back El Hadji Malick Diouf had to pull Diaz to the ground before the penalty was awarded following a VAR check by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala.

Officials and players argued before the referee’s touchline screen, then again when Senegal left.

When the players returned to the field, Diaz mistook a chip made in the Panenka style and sailed tamely into Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s direction.

Although losing will only add to Morocco’s poor performance in the tournament, which they only previously won 50 years ago, Senegal’s actions will be seen as a major blight on an otherwise prosperous tournament.

The Senegalese team had initially been upset by the referee’s decision to forbid foul foul play when Abdoulaye Seck headed off the post at a corner with a nod in the rebound.

However, a galvanized Senegal would almost certainly come out on top in the fourth minute of extra time, which was exactly what the crowd of 66,526 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium expected.

Idrissa Gana Gueye, who had previously released his name, was found in Mane’s midfield possession.

The Villarreal midfielder beat goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with a superb strike into the top corner as the Moroccan captain held off the backtracking Achraf Hakimi as he advanced toward the box.

Diaz was promptly replaced, especially because the Moroccans were upset.

In the second half of extra time, Nayef Aguerd headed against the crossbar, which would have prevented a penalty shootout.

The hosts, who had been hoping to win the title for the first time in front of their own fans, did not, however, have the opportunity to end a 50-year wait to become African champions for the second time.

Senegal could have been more at ease if Cherif Ndiaye had not wasted a fantastic chance to put the game away at 2-0 late in the second period, but they held on.

After winning the trophy for the first time in their history against Egypt on penalties in Yaounde in 2022, they won it for the second time in their history. They have won the Cup of Nations twice in the previous three competitions.

They will hope to convince legendary player Mane to play in another AFCON after he declared that this would be his final appearance at the tournament and that they will now prepare to travel to the United States for the World Cup in June.

Any investigation into the Senegalese team’s behavior and any errors made by Moroccan organizers will be the focus of any inquiries into the scenes surrounding the game.

The incidents occurred at the conclusion of a tense final, which had been low on goalmouth action, which was surprising given Africa’s best teams’ defensive prowess, according to the FIFA rankings.

Morocco should have scored just before the hour mark when Ayoub El Kaabi headed wide from a Bilal El Khannouss cross, but Senegal’s Iliman Ndiaye was denied by Bounou when clean through with the best chance in the first half.

Senegal escaped the penalty award before Gueye became their hero, which was remarkably the Lions of Teranga’s first goal in the AFCON final despite failing to find the net in any of their three matches.

Morocco’s campaign came to an end in agony, and many of its supporters had already left the stadium by the time the final whistle on a cold, wet night in Rabat.

Gueye said, “We really wanted to win here.” We gave everything, even though it was a very difficult match. ”

Walid Regragui, the coach of Morocco, claimed that his country was “really disappointed” by the Moroccans.

In the end, football eventually catches up with you when you score a penalty in the last minute.

Following long-running battles with the SDF, the army has significantly increased its territorial ties.

According to Daniel Yergin, an expert on the oil industry, the US is desperate to have its supply chains independently from China.

As a result of a dispute over the semi-autonomous Danish territory he has long desired, United States President Donald Trump has pledged to steadily raise tariffs on European nations that have opposed his acquisition of Greenland.

What is the rationale behind Trump’s attempt to control the island nation of Greenland, and how have NATO allies responded?

What tariff threat does Trump have to Greenland?

Trump claimed in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday that he had not tarnished tariffs on Denmark and other European Union nations.

It is time for Denmark to return, saying, “World Peace is in danger!” There is nothing Denmark can do to help Greenland, despite the demands of China and Russia. ”

Trump added that “the United States’ and the world’s overall security are in jeopardy.” ”

According to Trump, all of their exports to the US will be subject to a 10% tariff starting on February 1. This includes Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland.

He claimed that the tariff will go up to 25% starting on June 1. Till a deal is reached to purchase Greenland in its entirety and before this tariff is due and payable, Trump wrote.

Trump added that, “Over the past 150 years, the United States has been trying to do this transaction.”   Denmark has repeatedly tried, and with good reason, but it has always refused. ”

Trump is the first US president to veto Greenland.

Greenland is not for sale, according to Danish and Greenland officials. Greenlanders have been protesting Trump’s plans to buy Greenland in recent days. Trump is not the first US president to pursue an Arctic acquisition, despite the fact that he has been pushing for it since his first term.

In 1867, William H. Seward, the then Secretary of State, unsuccessfully attempted to purchase Greenland. After Germany invaded Denmark during World War II, the US occupied Greenland and constructed military and radio installations there. It is permanently located at the northwest Pituffik Space Base.

President Harry S. Truman secretly offered Denmark $100 million in 1946 while Greenland was still a Danish colony, but Copenhagen refused. Only in 1991 did the proposal become widely known.

According to polls, Americans do not support Washington’s acquisition of Greenland. Less than one in five US residents were polled this week by Reuters/Ipsos, according to the results of a Reuters/Ipsos poll. firmly opposed to the concept of acquiring Greenland .

Trump wants Greenland, but why?

The island’s strategic importance is due to its location and its abundance of natural resources.

Between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, Greenland is geographically located in North America. There are 56,000 people, primarily Indigenous Inuit people, here.

Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, is located 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) further away than Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, which is 3,500 kilometers (2, 174 miles) east.

Denmark serves as a NATO-enhanced overseas country with residents who hold EU citizenship.

Its location makes it crucial for US military operations and missile early-warning systems because it has the shortest air and sea routes between North America and Europe. To track movements of Russian and Chinese citizens, Washington has also sought greater radar coverage in the Greenland-Iceland-UK border.

Although there is no oil and gas extraction, and many Indigenous residents oppose large-scale mining, Greenland is rich in minerals, including the majority of the EU’s listed “critical raw materials.” Fishing is a major contributor to the economy.

Major powers are becoming more interested in the Arctic’s untapped resources as climate change increases.

How have the tariff threats posed by Trump affected Europe?

On Sunday, all 27 EU members will convene for an urgent meeting to discuss how to respond to Trump’s threat.

In a response to Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the UK, on Saturday, he wrote: Our position on Greenland is crystal-clear: it belongs to the Danish Kingdom and has a long-term impact on both Greenlanders and Danes, Starmer wrote.

It is completely wrong to impose tariffs on allies in order to protect NATO allies’ collective security. Naturally, we will work with the US administration to pursue this directly. ”

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, also addressed the issue in an X-post, saying: “The EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland. We are committed to continuing the dialogue that the Kingdom of Denmark and the US started last week.

Transatlantic relations would be hampered by tariffs, which could lead to a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will continue to be co-ordinated, united, and committed to upholding its independence. ”

Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, shared a post on his own X account that resembled von der Leyen’s.

China and Russia must be having a field day, according to Kaja Kallas, the EU’s head of foreign policy, on X. They stand to gain from divisions among allies. ”

Kallas continued, “Tariffs could devalue our shared prosperity and make Europe and the United States poorer.” ”