Football on the continent had an embarrassing night watching Morocco and Senegal play in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final. African football’s reputation will suffer a long time to come.
In the Moroccan capital Rabat, an encounter that offered so much to two top-notch teams led to ephemeral scenes of acrimony and chaos. The inquest will begin when the dust has settled.
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As a score of 0-0 in the final stage of the extravaganza started to get heated. Ismaila Sarr of Senegal appeared to have scored, but referee Jean-Jacques Ndala decided Abdoulaye Seck had fouled Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, but the goal was disallowed. Senegal coach Pape Thiaw was obviously upset by the decision.
The chaos then developed. Brahim Diaz, a Moroccan star, hit the ground in the final minute of added time and vehemently appealed for a penalty. A highly contentious penalty was awarded after a video assistant referee (VAR) review in which Ndala was thrown into by suffocating coaches and players, with a chance for Morocco to win it at the death.
Then the conflict’s ignobles caught fire. Although Thiaw believed Senegal had a case and had been cheated, he pivoted the final into dangerous territory when he led his team off the field and down the tunnel in protest. Play didn’t restart for over 17 minutes as some fans staged a pitch invasion and objects were thrown from the crowd. After that, Thaw later acknowledged that he should not have done this.
Diaz’s “Panenka” error costs the host country.
Before the penalty spot and the ball in Diaz’ hands, the tension inside Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium could have produced even more obscene scenes, while Senegal’s players continued to be bitterly criticized. After a painful 50-year wait to become the African champions, it was his moment, Morocco’s moment.
What Diaz did next encapsulated the crazyness of the night, who was the media darling of AFCON 2025 and had a tournament-high five goals.
He attempted a “Panenka” chip, but embarrassingly, the Real Madrid winger accidentally clipped the ball straight into the arms of Senegal’s Edouard Mendy. The stadium’s over 66, 000 home fans were having trouble understanding what had just happened.
And when extra time arrived, Moroccan fans were shocked to learn that Senegal’s brilliant winning goal, which would have been the most memorable moment if the final hadn’t already been completely chaotic, had it not been for the Moroccans.
Senegal won the second time in Africa. They merited it, in football terms. However, the celebrations will be overshadowed by accusations due to the final inquests.
Disciplinary measures are likely to follow.
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, addressed the “ugly scenes” on Instagram while watching the match.
Infantino criticized the decision-making by the match officials as “unacceptable” and said “violence cannot be tolerated in our sport.”
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), the tournament’s governing body, is likely to take severe disciplinary measures after the final, where its famous showpiece has been severely damaged.
The scenes were “shameful,” according to Moroccan coach Walid Regragui, who added that they “do not honor Africa.”
Strong measures are likely to be taken in the press room against , Thiaw, whose media briefing had to be postponed as a result of further unrest. He’s not the only one who will face scrutiny, he’s, according to his, one who’s not.
Prior to the final, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) had expressed concern about the security at the game and claimed that its players and staff were “in danger”. The FSF also raised concerns about the final’s hotel, lodging, and ticket allocation.
There was a lot of criticism for the final officiating. There is no escaping the fact that the Congolese referee made a difficult decision during stoppage time, even though Ndala was under intense pressure when the Senegal players left. Seck actually harmed Hakimi, right? Senegal’s player was subjected to a harsh call. And why didn’t the referee consult VAR?
Did Morocco’s Diaz then succumb to the pressure exerted by Senegalese singer El Hadji Malick Diouf, who appeared innocent? Ndala initially appeared uninterested, but a pleading Diaz and the crowd soon made him appear to give in. It would be difficult to make a decision in the hosts’ favor. The other was obliterating.
claims of host country bias
Regragui, the coach of Morocco, felt the need to publicly deny any favoritism toward the host nation that had been racked up by this AFCON, which had been fueled by Cameroon’s rejection of two penalties in its quarterfinal victory.
The conspiracy theories focused on the praise Morocco, which it otherwise received, with Mohamed Salah, an Egyptian and Liverpool international, thanking the organizers and saying, “I have never participated in a competition in Africa with such a high level of organization.”
The tearful Moroccan fans who had gathered across the nation ready to celebrate would have left the stadium on Sunday night with this in their minds. It was simple to feel sorry for them because none of this was their fault. The moment was captured by the rain. There were sprinkling of pixie dust. The wait would continue for the champions.
Up until the carnage in the final, it appeared as though the focus of AFCON 2025 would be on the improvement of African football and whether top-tier African teams, especially Senegal and Morocco, could advance to the FIFA World Cup in June. Perhaps even make history.
Underestimating Morocco’s ability to defeat the biggest football players would be foolish after reaching the semifinals in Qatar and with years of youth football investment still showing promise. Senegal’s players also light up European leagues while uniting as a formidable force against the Lions of Teranga.
The carelessness, however, was exhibited in Rabat by coaches, players, and supporters who tarnished the soaring reputation of African football. Infantino has already stated that such scenes will not be tolerated in Africa or elsewhere.
Senegal star Sadio Mane, who appeared reluctant to leave the pitch and appeared to have urged his teammates to do so, is the only one whose reputation improved as a result of the final fiasco. After the two contentious decisions, he also attempted to calm Senegalese supporters.
Fans of football should be ecstatic about Senegal’s success and the calibre of both finalists. Instead, we’ll recall the dishonest actions in the nation that hosts the World Cup once every four years.
The final decision on AFCON 2025 lies with CAF and its disciplinary division. Don’t be surprised if there is more drama in the pipeline because its reputation has been severely harmed and FIFA needs to please.
Source: Aljazeera
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