‘Shameful’ and ‘terrible look’ – the chaos that marred Senegal’s Afcon triumph

Senegal defeated Morocco to claim the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time, but only after the match’s goalless stoppage-time penalty was overshadowed by their temporary refusal to play.

Referee Jean Jacques Ndala gave the spot-kick in the 98th minute after being advised by the video assistant referee (VAR) to consult the pitchside monitor and review defender El Hadji Malick Diouf’s challenge on Brahim Diaz.

Head coach Pape Thiaw led his team off the field amid sensational scenes, still furious over Ndala’s decision moments earlier to ban a Senegal goal.

Sadio Mane, a former Liverpool striker, continued on the field and tried to motivate his Senegalese teammates to finish the match.

Following a delay of around 17 minutes, the players did eventually return.

Diaz, the top scorer in the tournament with five goals, was given a chance to score the penalty, but Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy hardly had time to move as he blew the whistle for full time.

In the fourth minute of extra time, Villarreal’s Pape Gueye scored the winning goal to make it the Lions’ second triumph in five years.

In his post-match news conference, Morocco coach Walid Regragui said Senegal’s actions were “shameful” and do not “honour Africa”.

In the meantime, Thiaw’s media briefing was postponed due to a row that erupted in the press room.

But in an interview with BeIN Sport, he accepted that he should not have ordered his team off the field.

He said, “We didn’t like what we said. I’m not interested in going over every incident. I apologise for the football.

You can react in the commotion of the moment, I said, “After reflecting on it, I made them come back on the pitch.” We are willing to correct the referee’s errors.

“We shouldn’t have done it but it’s done and now we present our apologies to football”.

Ismaila Sarr’s goal, which Thiaw, 44, had already bundled home from close range, angered the referee, who had initially disallowed the goal.

In the build-up, Abdoulaye Seck fouled Achraf Hakimi, who had to score his effort.

And the penalty decision compounded those feelings. While some of the Senegalese players threw objects and attempted to enter the field, others did as Thiaw’s request was granted.

Diaz was overcome by Morocco’s failure to capture their first Afcon title since 1976, which he was substituted for following Gueye’s goal.

After the game, Mane said: “Football is something special, the world was watching, so we have to give a good image for football.

What, the referee gave a penalty, and we leave the game, would make me think it’s crazy to not play this game? That would be the worst, in my opinion, especially in African football. I’d rather lose than this kind of thing happen to our football.

“I believe it to be really bad. What can we do if football is not supposed to stop for ten minutes? We have to accept what we did but the good thing is that we came back and we played the game and what happened happened”.

Mendy, a former Chelsea keeper who is currently playing for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, defended his country’s return to the field after winning their second Afcon title this year.

What did we exchange with one another? That’s between us”, said Mendy.

All that matters is that we did it together and then came back together. We have a lot of pride.

Match-winner Gueye added: “We had a feeling of injustice. We had a goal before the penalty, but the referee didn’t go to VAR.

The rest of Infantino’s Instagram post was scathing of the scenes from the final, congratulating Senegal on their Afcon victory and recognizing Morocco as “exceptional hosts”

He stated that it is “unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner,” and that violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply wrong, and that the match officials’ decisions must always be respected, because anything less threatens the game’s very essence.

Infantino, 55, said what happened” must be condemned and never repeated”, and it is the responsibility of teams and players to set the right example.

He continued, “I reiterated that they have no place in football and that the appropriate disciplinary bodies at Caf will take the appropriate steps,” he continued.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of African football (Caf) issued a statement saying it “strongly condemns any inappropriate behavior that occurs during games, especially those that targets the refereeing team or the match organisers.”

It added:” Caf is reviewing all footage and will refer the matter to competent bodies for appropriate action to be taken against those found guilty. “

The Moroccan Football Federation announced in a statement on Monday that it would file legal action with Caf and Fifa to stop the Senegal team from leaving the field and stop everything that had happened prior to the penalty’s being given.

It’s terrible that a tournament that seemed like such a fantastic advertisement for African football ended.

I couldn’t believe the chaos I was witnessing from the commentary box, with some fans trying to get on to the pitch to my left and members of staff being separated down below me in the technical areas.

Then the Senegalese players exit the tunnel. The Cup of Nations looked terrible in that regard.

If I look back at the past few weeks covering this event there has been a huge amount of debate – more than most years – about refereeing decisions and VAR, with accusations from some journalists and fans that hosts Morocco were getting the rub of the green from some officials.

There was even a point where certain games’ refereeing appointments were becoming a hot button on social media, which put a lot of pressure on the officials before certain games.

Senegal’s criticism of the manner in which they were treated prior to the game, including their lack of tickets and what they perceived as a lack of security when they arrived in Rabat on Friday, increased the tension.

Nobody expected the scenes we witnessed after the penalty was awarded though, and this was all in front of the Fifa president Gianni Infantino who was here to present the trophy to the winning side.

With impressive infrastructure, stadiums, and travel links, Morocco have received praise for the way they organized this tournament, including from famous players like Mohamed Salah.

There is very little positive to say about the end of this game, but one person to come out of it well is Mane.

One Senegalian player, he was the one who eluding to allegiance, said to “come back out” as he did not want to go down the tunnel.

The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) expressed “serious concerns” about the team’s security before Sunday’s final in Rabat.

When the team bus arrived in the Moroccan capital on Friday, the 2021 winners were greeted by fans.

In a statement on Friday, the FSF also complained about the conditions of the hotel, number of tickets allocated to supporters and the fact that they were not offered a training pitch at Morocco’s team base.

They claimed that “players and staff” were in danger because of “a lack of adequate security.”

In his pre-game press conference, Thiaw remarked, “What happened yesterday was not normal.”

” Given the number there, anything could have happened. My players were in danger, I imagine.

Efan Ekoku, a former Nigerian international football player, criticized Thiaw and his players, saying that their temporary suspension was “not a good look for African football.”

Ekoku told E4: “It was the penalty award was soft. “It was foolish and reckless by El Hadji Malick Diouf, but the decision had been made and the players have to abide by that.

You can’t leave the pitch, they say. You have to let the referee and the rules make the decision, no matter how upset you feel. I have got some sympathy, but this is not a good look. “