Senegal walked off a the AFCON final after a contentious penalty awarded late in added time
By Andrew Powell for Daily Caller covering AFCON
The final for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) required extra time after both sides played to a tense 0-0 draw, culminating in dramatic scenes when Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in protest after the host nation, Morocco, was given a stoppage-time penalty.
Senegal ultimately claimed a 1-0 victory in extra time, securing their second AFCON championship and their second title in five years following their triumph in 2021. However, the manner of the loss left Morocco and head coach Walid Regragui deeply dissatisfied.
Senegal manager Pape Thiaw led his squad off the field Sunday as Moroccan supporters cheered amid chaotic scenes on the pitch, with players from each team clashing over the VAR decision that granted the hosts the late penalty opportunity.
Senegal walks off in AFCON final
After a 14-minute interruption, the Senegal players returned to the field, thanks in large part to left winger Sadio Mané, who went to the locker room to urge his teammates to resume play. (RELATED: TaylorMade Hits Callaway With Lawsuit Over Alleged ‘Mud Balls’ Claims)
Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy then produced a crucial save to deny Morocco right winger Brahim Díaz from the spot, while additional Senegal supporters attempted to rush the pitch. Tensions also spilled over into the press area, where journalists were involved in physical altercations.
Following the final whistle, Regragui sharply criticized Thiaw’s choice to remove his team from the match and came to the defense of Díaz regarding the missed penalty kick.
“I think a lot of time passed before [Brahim] was able to take the penalty, and this put him off,” said Regragui, per ESPN. “The match we had was shameful for Africa.
“When a head coach asks his players to leave the pitch, when he’s saying things that already started in the press conference [before the match, when Senegal accused Morocco of unsporting tactics] … he needs to stay class, in victory as well as in defeat.
“What Pape [Thiaw] did tonight doesn’t honor Africa. He’s an African champion now, so he can say what he wants, but they stopped the match for over 10 minutes.
“That doesn’t excuse Brahim for the way he hit [the penalty], he hit it like that and we have to own it. We need to look forward now, and accept that Brahim missed it.”
Chaos after ward of penalty
The VAR call by referee Jean-Jacques Ndala — awarding a penalty for a foul on Díaz — sparked immediate chaos, triggering a physical confrontation between the coaching staffs and players of both teams that quickly spilled over into the stands. Senegal‘s prominent Gaindé supporter group appeared to escalate the surge, vaulting over the hoardings and onto the pitch in an attempt to reach the match officials and the Moroccan contingent.
Security personnel and riot police eventually stepped in, forming a cordon to separate the incensed fans from the playing surface as objects rained down onto the pitch. Senegalese supporters climbed onto the electronic boards lining one side of the field and began tearing them apart. (RELATED: Broncos’ Bo Nix Out For Rest Of Playoffs After Suffering Season-Ending Fractured Ankle Against Bills)
Authorities escorted several Senegal fans away from the area, while a steward was carried off on a stretcher after seemingly suffering an upper-body injury during the disorder.
At the direction of Thiaw, the Teranga Lions walked off the pitch amid the turmoil — though it remained uncertain whether the departure stemmed from immediate safety concerns or served as a protest against the referee’s late call to hand out the penalty after Senegal left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf made contact with Díaz inside the box in the sixth minute of added time.
While further scuffles erupted on the field between Morocco central midfielder Ismaël Saibari and Senegal centre-back Abdoulaye Seck, and Mendy receiving a booking for seemingly disturbing the penalty spot, Díaz eventually took responsibility for the kick. Lacking confidence, his attempted shot was scooped up with minimal effort by the goalkeeper.
Early in the first period of extra time, Senegal defensive midfielder Pape Gueye Produced a brilliant strike from right outside the box, giving Senegal a lead that the team would successfully defend through the remainder of the match.
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