It is a statement that mixes justification and mea culpa. “We are humans, we can make mistakes, we recognized it because we returned to the field,” declared this Sunday in Téléfoot the Senegalese Pape Gueye, who gave victory to Senegal in the CAN 2025 final against Morocco last Sunday (1-0 after extra time).
The match was interrupted for fifteen minutes when the Senegalese decided to leave the pitch at Stade Moulay Abdellah after a penalty was awarded to the Moroccans at the end of added time in the second half. After several minutes in the locker room, Pape Thiaw’s players finally returned to the field.
“It was an extremely well organized CAN”
Asked about leader Sadio Mané’s request to return, Pape Gueye commented: “It’s strong, he knew how to deliver this speech, at the right time with the right words, to remobilize everyone. It shows his importance in the team, we knew how to listen to him, thanks to Sadio.”
The Senegalese midfielder from Villarreal, honored this Saturday for his return to his club’s stadium before the latter’s defeat against Real Madrid (0-2), also spoke about the panenka attempted and missed by Brahim Diaz in the last seconds of added time of the first 90 minutes.
“It’s daring, I wouldn’t have done it,” Pape Gueye said. It’s not a risk I would have taken. But it’s attempted, if he scores he’s behind Zidane,” he declared, in reference to the panenka achieved by the 1998 world champion in the final of the 2006 World Cup.
Despite the confusion that reigned during the final, Pape Gueye said he wanted to “retain the positive, it was an extremely well organized CAN by Morocco”.
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