‘Shameful’ and ‘terrible look’ – the chaos that marred Senegal’s Afcon triumph

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 controversial stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.

Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye scored the only goal in the fourth minute of extra time to seal a second triumph in five years for the Lions.

But the game was marred by late controversy as Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw tried to usher his team off the field when Morocco were awarded a spot-kick in the 98th minute as a result of defender El Hadji Malick Diouf bringing down Brahim Diaz.

Though when the penalty was eventually taken in the 114th minute, Real Madrid forward Diaz saw his Panenka attempt saved by Edouard Mendy.

In his post-match press conference, Morocco coach Walid Regragui said Senegal’s actions were “shameful” and do not “honour Africa”.

Thiaw, meanwhile, saw 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 furious with referee Jean Jacques Ndala – who awarded the penalty after reviewing the incident on the VAR monitor – for ruling out a goal for his side moments earlier.

Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr had bundled home from close range, but his effort was chalked off for a foul by Abdoulaye Seck on Achraf Hakimi.

As several of the Senegal players followed Thiaw’s request to leave the field, a section of their supporters threw objects and attempted to get on the field.

Senegal only returned from the dressing room at the request of former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane.

Gueye then scored the only goal of the game with a stunning individual effort in the 94th minute.

Diaz, substituted in the extra time, was left crestfallen as Morocco missed the chance to win a first Afcon title since 1976.

After the game, Mendy 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 tonight.”

It’s an awful way for a tournament which had felt like such a great advert for African football to end.

I couldn’t believe the chaos I was witnessing from the commentary box, with some fans trying to get on to the pitch to my left and members of staff being separated down below me in the technical areas.

Then the Senegal players walking down the tunnel. It was a terrible look for the Cup of Nations.

If I look back at the past few weeks covering this event there has been a huge amount of debate – more than most years – about refereeing decisions and VAR, with accusations from some journalists and fans that hosts Morocco were getting the rub of the green from some officials.

It even got to a point where refereeing appointments for certain games were becoming a talking point on social media, which put a lot of pressure on the officials before certain games.

Senegal’s complaints about the way they’d been treated leading up to the final – including what they felt was a lack of security when they arrived in Rabat on Friday and their lack of tickets – also increased the tension going into this game.

Nobody expected the scenes we witnessed after the penalty was awarded though, and this was all in front of the Fifa president Gianni Infantino who was here to present the trophy to the winning side.

Morocco have been praised for the way they’ve organised this tournament – including from the big names like Mohamed Salah – with impressive infrastructure, stadiums and travel links.

Sadly for them though, with four years to go until they co-host the World Cup, the astonishing scenes before the Diaz penalty will probably be what will be most remembered about this tournament.

There is very little positive to say about the end of this game, but one person to come out of it well is Mane.

He was the one Senegal player who clearly did not want to walk down the tunnel and was telling his team-mates to come back out.

He also walked over to the Senegal fans after the full-time whistle, begging them to calm down.

There is now a line of armoured police in front of those fans to my left. It’s been quite violent down there on several occasions.

Before Sunday’s final in Rabat, the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) expressed “serious concerns” over the security of the team.

The 2021 winners were swarmed 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, number of tickets allocated to supporters and the fact that they were not offered a training pitch at Morocco’s team base.

They said a “lack of adequate security” left players and staff “at risk”.

“What happened yesterday was not normal,” said Thiaw in his pre-match news conference.

“Given the number there, anything could have happened. My players could have been in danger.

“That type of thing should not happen between two brother countries.”

Former Nigeria forward Efan Ekoku criticised Thiaw and his players, insisting their temporary refusal to play was “not a good look for African football”.

“It [the penalty award] was soft,” Ekoku told E4. “It was foolish and reckless by El Hadji Malick Diouf, but the decision had been made and the players have to abide by that.

“You cannot do that [leave the pitch]. However aggrieved you feel at it you have got to let the referee and the rules [make the decision]… I have got some sympathy, but this is not a good look.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s 2013 winner John Obi Mikel said he could “understand the frustration” but walking off is “not what I want to see”.