The Africa Cup of Nations final descended into chaos on Sunday night after Senegal briefly abandoned the match in protest over a controversial late penalty awarded to hosts Morocco.
With the final locked at 0-0 deep into stoppage time, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw attempted to pull his players off the pitch after referee Jean Jacques Ndala pointed to the spot in the 98th minute. The decision followed a VAR review which ruled that defender El Hadji Malick Diouf had fouled Morocco’s Brahim Diaz inside the box.
The protest saw Senegal’s players hesitate and retreat towards the tunnel, with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy even disappearing into the dressing room at one point. Captain Sadio Mane was seen urging his teammates to return to the field and complete the match as tempers flared inside the stadium.
Morocco’s hopes of snatching victory were denied when Real Madrid forward Diaz attempted an audacious panenka penalty, only for it to be saved, further fuelling the drama.
Thiaw’s fury was heightened by an earlier decision moments before the penalty, when Senegal had a goal ruled out. Ismaila Sarr appeared to have scored from close range, but the effort was cancelled after VAR judged that Abdoulaye Seck had fouled Achraf Hakimi in the build-up.
Despite the unrest, the referee brought the match to the end of normal time immediately after the missed penalty. Senegal regrouped and regained composure in extra time, breaking the deadlock just four minutes in when midfielder Pape Gueye struck to put them ahead.
While the scenes late in regulation time overshadowed much of the final, Mane earned praise for his leadership, repeatedly calling for calm and later approaching Senegalese supporters to defuse tensions. Heavy police presence was required in the stands as confrontations broke out among fans.
The final will be remembered as one of the most dramatic in Afcon history, marked by disputed decisions, a walk-off protest and extraordinary pressure at Africa’s biggest football stage.
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