The AFCON final was won by Senegal after the side defeated Morocco 1-0 in a final that will forever be remembered for its controversial moments. Senegal’s players decided to walk off the pitch due to the referee’s decisions in the clash.
The AFCON final saw Senegal take on Morocco. The two sides locked horns at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on January 19, and the final will go down as one of the most controversial finals of all time. The two sides locked horns in the summit clash, and throughout the game, there was a string of decisions made by the referee that favoured Morocco.ย
Congolese match referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded the penalty to Morocco right at the end of injury time following a VAR check for a challenge on Diaz in the box by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf.
After the penalty was given, several of Senegalโs players walked off the pitch after the orders of their head coach, who had motivated them to leave the field due to the refereeโs decision-making. Sadio Mane led the players back onto the pitch, and Moroccoโs Brahim Diaz, while attempting a Panenka, missed the penalty.ย
The game went into extra time, and eventually, Pape Gueye scored in the final stages of the game as Senegal defeated Morocco in the clash, winning the AFCON.ย
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw opens up after the game
After the match, Senegal manager Pape Thiaw came forward and talked about the incident. He admitted that he should not have ordered his team to leave the field and revealed that he did so in frustration.ย
“We didn’t agree. 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,โ Thiaw said in an interview with BeIN Sports.ย
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