The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final erupted into controversy in the extra minutes when Senegal briefly walked off the pitch after a late penalty was awarded against them. Morocco’s head coach, Walid Regragui, did not hold back in his criticism, calling the incident “shameful.”
Referee Jean-Jacques Ndala pointed to the spot following a VAR review of Malick Diouf’s challenge on Brahim Diaz. Senegal, already frustrated after seeing a goal disallowed, reacted dramatically.
“The image we’ve given of Africa is shameful,” Regragui said. “A coach who asks his players to leave the field…what Pape did does not honour Africa. Thiaw wasn’t classy. But he is a champion, so he can say whatever he wants. We stopped the match in the eyes of the world for 10 minutes.”
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw later admitted regret over the decision.
“I don’t want to go over all the incidents. I apologise for the football,” he told the press. “After reflecting on it, I made them come back [on the pitch] – you can react in the heat of the moment. We accept the errors of the referee. We shouldn’t have done it, but it’s done and now we present our apologies to football.”
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The return to play was largely thanks to Sadio Mane, who urged his teammates back onto the field. His leadership proved crucial, with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saving Diaz’s Panenka penalty, sending the match into extra time.
Mane reflected on the importance of sportsmanship, saying “It would have been really a shame and sad to see this kind of thing, this kind of scenario happen. Imagine, just imagine for a second, going into the locker rooms and the football match stopped there. I think that would convey a negative image of our football; I think Africa today does not deserve that.”
Despite the incident, Senegal went on to win thanks to Pape Gueye’s decisive goal, securing their second AFCON title after first lifting the trophy in 2021.
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