Referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded the penalty in the 98th minute after the video assistant referee (VAR) advised him to consult the pitch monitor and review defender El Hadji Malick Diouf’s tackle on Brahim DÃaz.
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Amid sensational scenes, coach Pape Thiaw, still outraged by Ndala’s decision moments before disallowing a Senegal goal, led his team off the field.
Former Liverpool striker Sadio Mané remained on the pitch and tried to encourage his Senegal teammates to finish the match.
After a delay of about 17 minutes, the players finally returned.
Real Madrid striker DÃaz, the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, was awarded the penalty, but his tame ‘Panenka’ shot was saved by Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who barely had to move, and Ndala immediately blew his whistle for full-time.
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Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye scored the winning goal in the fourth minute of extra time to seal the second win in five years for the Lions.
In his post-match press conference, Morocco coach Walid Regragui said Senegal’s actions were “shameful” and do not “honor Africa.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino strongly condemned the “ugly scenes” in a post on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Thiaw had his press conference canceled after a disturbance broke out in the press room.
But in an interview with BeIN Sport he accepted that he should not have ordered his team to take him off the field.
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“We didn’t agree,” he said. “I don’t want to go over all the incidents. I apologize for football.
“After reflecting, I made them return (to the field), you can react in the heat of the moment. We accept the referee’s mistakes.
“We shouldn’t have done it, but it’s done and now we apologize to football.”
Thiaw, 44, was initially furious with referee Ndala for disallowing a goal by Crystal Palace striker Ismaila Sarr, who had fired in from close range.
His attempt was canceled out by Abdoulaye Seck’s foul on Achraf Hakimi in the build-up.
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And the penalty decision aggravated those feelings. Several of the Senegalese players followed Thiaw’s request to leave the field, while some of his followers threw objects and attempted to enter the field.
Diaz, who was substituted after Gueye’s goal, was left dejected as Morocco lost the chance to win its first Afcon title since 1976.
After the match, Mané said: “Football is something special, the world was watching, so we have to give a good image of football.
“I think it would be crazy not to play this game because the referee gave a penalty and we were out of the game? I think that would be the worst thing, especially in African football. I would rather lose than have this kind of thing happen to our football.
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“I think it’s really bad. Football shouldn’t 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, we played the game and what happened happened.”
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy, who now plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, insisted he was “proud” of the way Senegal, coached by Mane, returned to the field to win their second Afcon title this decade.
“What did we say? That’s between us,” Mendy said.
“We did it together and we got back together, that’s all that matters. We can be proud.”
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Gueye, the match winner, added: “We had a feeling of injustice. Just before the penalty we thought we should have scored a goal and the referee didn’t go to the VAR.
“Sadio (Mané) told us to come back and we mobilized. Edouard (Mendy) then made the save, we stayed focused, scored the goal and won the game.”
“Violence cannot be tolerated in our sport”
After congratulating Senegal on their Afcon win and celebrating Morocco as an “exceptional host,” the rest of Infantino’s Instagram post was scathing about the scenes witnessed in the final.
He wrote that it is “unacceptable to leave the field of play in this way, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right,” adding that decisions made by referees must always be respected, “because anything else puts the very essence of football at risk.”
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Infantino, 55, stated that what happened “must be condemned and never repeated,” and it is the responsibility of the teams and players to set the right example.
“I reiterated that they have no place in football and I hope that the relevant CAF disciplinary bodies will take appropriate measures,” he added.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Confederation of African Football (Caf) said it “strongly condemns any inappropriate behavior that occurs during matches, especially those directed at the referee team or match organisers.”
He added: “Caf is reviewing all the images and will refer the matter to the competent bodies so that appropriate measures can be taken against those found guilty.”
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“It’s a horrible way to end the tournament”
Both FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) strongly condemned the scenes that marred Sunday’s final (Getty Images).
It’s a terrible way to end a tournament that seemed like a great advert for African football.
I couldn’t believe the chaos I was witnessing from the commentary box, with some fans trying to get onto the pitch to my left and staff members spread out below me in the technical areas.
Then the Senegal players walking through the tunnel. It was a terrible look for the Nations Cup.
If I look back at the last few weeks covering this event, there has been a lot of debate, more than in most years, about refereeing decisions and VAR, with accusations from some journalists and fans that hosts Morocco were taking the hit from some referees.
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It even got to a point where referee appointments for certain matches became a topic of conversation on social media, putting a lot of pressure on referees ahead of certain matches.
Complaints from Senegal about the way they had been treated before the final – including what they felt was a lack of security when they arrived in Rabat on Friday and a lack of tickets – also added to the tension ahead of this match.
No one expected the scenes we witnessed after the penalty, and all of this was in front of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was here to present the trophy to the winning team.
Morocco has been praised for the way it has organized this tournament, including by big names like Mohamed Salah, with impressive infrastructure, stadiums and travel links.
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Unfortunately for them, with four years left until they co-host the World Cup, the astonishing scenes before DÃaz’s penalty will probably be the most memorable thing from this tournament.
“Not much positive to say, but Mané comes out of this well”
There is very little positive to say about the ending of this game, but one person who came out well is Mane.
He was the only Senegal player who clearly did not want to walk through the tunnel and told his teammates to go back out.
He also approached the Senegal fans after the final whistle and begged them to calm down.
Senegal were “concerned” about treatment before the final
Ahead of Sunday’s final in Rabat, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) expressed “serious concerns” for the team’s safety.
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The 2021 winners were surrounded by fans when the team bus arrived in the Moroccan capital on Friday.
In a statement on Friday, the FSF also complained about the conditions of the hotel, the number of tickets allocated to fans and the fact that they were not offered a training camp at the Moroccan team base.
They said a “lack of adequate security” left players and staff “at risk”.
“What happened yesterday was not normal,” Thiaw said in his pre-match press conference.
“Given the numbers, anything could have happened. My players could have been in danger.
“That kind of thing should not happen between two brother countries.”
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Leaving the field “is not a good image for African football”
Former Nigerian striker Efan Ekoku criticized Thiaw and his players, insisting that their temporary refusal to play was “not a good image for African football”.
“(The penalty) was soft,” Ekoku told E4. “It was foolish and reckless on the part of El Hadji Malick Diouf, but the decision had already been made and the players must respect it.
“You can’t do that (leave the field). No matter how aggrieved you feel, you have to let the referee and the rules (make the decision)… I have some sympathy, but this is not a good image.”
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Meanwhile, Nigeria’s 2013 winner John Obi Mikel said he could “understand the frustration” but leaving is “not what I want to see.”