Senegal were crowned champions of Africa in a wildly controversial Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday night, but their manager Pepe Thiaw has been labelled 'shameful' by his Moroccan counterpart for an extraordinary mid-match protest.
Chaos and Controversy in Rabat
The dramatic final in Rabat was goalless deep into stoppage time when referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded a penalty to the host nation, Morocco. The decision incensed the Senegalese camp, who were already aggrieved after a goal from Ismaila Sarr had been ruled out earlier in the contest.
In a stunning move, Senegal's manager Pepe Thiaw led his entire team off the pitch in protest, bringing the game to a halt for approximately 17 minutes. The unprecedented walk-off delayed the climax of the continent's premier football tournament, played in front of a stunned home crowd.
Panenka Miss and Extra-Time Winner
After order was finally restored and the players returned, the drama reached new heights. Morocco's Brahim Diaz stepped up to take the spot-kick, attempting a delicate 'Panenka' chip, but saw his effort comfortably caught by Senegal's goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
The match proceeded to extra-time, where Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye scored a brilliant solo goal to secure a 1-0 victory for Senegal, clinching their second-ever AFCON title.
Post-Match Fury and Apologies
The fallout was immediate and fierce. Morocco's coach, Walid Regragui, did not hold back in his criticism of Thiaw's actions during the post-match press conference. "The image we've given of Africa is shameful," Regragui stated. "A coach who asks his players to leave the field… What Pape did does not honour Africa. He wasn't classy. But he is a champion, so he can say whatever he wants."
Thiaw later admitted his error, apologising to BeIN Sport. "I apologise for football. After reflection, I had them come back. Sometimes, you can react in the heat of the moment. We shouldn't have done it but it's done and now we present our apologies to football," he said.
Senegal captain Sadio Mane, who had tried to persuade his teammates to stay on the pitch, called the walk-off "really bad." He added, "Football is something special, the world was watching, so we have to give a good image for football... I'd rather lose than this kind of thing happen to our football."
Match-winner Pape Gueye explained the team's sense of injustice, referencing the disallowed goal. "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," he said.
