Senegal beat Morocco to win the Africa Cup of Nations for a second time – but only after the final was overshadowed when they temporarily refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.
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.
Amid sensational scenes, head coach Pape Thiaw, still incensed by Ndala’s decision moments earlier to disallow a Senegal goal, ushered his team off the field.
Former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane stayed on the pitch and tried to encourage his Senegal team-mates to finish the game.
Following a delay of around 17 minutes, the players did eventually return.
Real Madrid forward Diaz, the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, was trusted with the penalty, but his tame ‘Panenka’ effort was caught by Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy who barely had to move, and Ndala immediately blew his whistle for full-time.
Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye then scored the winning goal in the fourth minute of extra time to seal a second triumph in five years for the Lions.
In his post-match news conference, Morocco coach Walid Regragui said Senegal’s actions were “shameful” and do not “honour Africa”.
Thiaw, meanwhile, had his media briefing cancelled after a ruckus broke out in the press room.
But in an interview with BeIN Sport, he accepted that he should not have ordered his team off the field.
“We didn’t agree,” he said. “I don’t want to go over all the incidents. I apologise for the football.
“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.”
Thiaw, 44, was initially furious with referee Ndala for disallowing a goal by Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr, who had bundled home from close range.
His effort was chalked off for a foul by Abdoulaye Seck on Achraf Hakimi in the build-up.
And the penalty decision compounded those feelings. Several of the Senegal players followed Thiaw’s request to leave the field, while some of their supporters threw objects and attempted to get on the field.
Diaz, who was substituted after Gueye’s goal, was left crestfallen as Morocco missed the chance to win a first Afcon title since 1976.
After the game, Mane said: “Football is something special, the world was watching, so we have to give a good image for football.
“I think it would be crazy to not play this game because what, the referee gave a penalty and we go out of the game? I think that would be the worst thing especially in African football. I’d rather lose than this kind of thing happen to our football.
“I think it’s really bad. Football should not stop for 10 minutes but what can we do? 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.”
Former Chelsea keeper Mendy, who now plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, insisted he was “proud” of the way Senegal – instructed by Mane – returned to the field to win their second Afcon title this decade.
“What did we say to each other? That’s between us,” said Mendy.
“We did it together and we came back together, that’s all that matters. We can be proud.”
Match-winner Gueye added: “We had a feeling of injustice. Just before the penalty we thought we should have had a goal and the referee didn’t go to VAR.
“Sadio [Mane] told us to come back on and we remobilised. Edouard [Mendy] then made the save, we stayed focused, got the goal and won the game.”
