Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo had a lot of work this Sunday, January 18. The Congolese referee of the 2025 African Cup of Nations final was the man responsible for an absolutely ludicrous end to the match between Senegal and Morocco. First in the 92nd minute, by canceling a goal from Ismaïla Sarr for the Lions of Teranga. On a corner from the right, Abdoulaye Seck and Achraf Hakimi engage in a virile but correct duel, before the PSG full-back collapses almost alone at the far post.
The ball headed by the Senegalese defender hits the post before returning to the center to Ismaïla Sarr who finishes from close range. Problem: the referee called a foul by Seck before the ball entered the net, making VAR intervention legally impossible.
“There is a very slight contact on Achraf Hakimi, which for me is not punishable,” explains Bruno Derrien, former international referee. Senegal’s goal should have been accepted. He whistled way too quickly, the goal is to continue the action and it would surely have been validated with the video. »
“The fault is very light on Brahim Diaz”
A few minutes later, in the 97th minute, Brahim Diaz collapsed in the other area after a duel with El Hadji Malick Diouf. The Real Madrid striker seethes in front of Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo, who does not flinch before finally being called to watch the images. The 38-year-old official, under pressure from the Moroccans, awarded a penalty. “The fault is very light on Brahim Diaz on the penalty. The pressure was too great from many Moroccans for him to go see the VAR…” continues Derrien.
Furious, the Senegalese, under the leadership of Pape Thiaw, decided to stop playing and returned to the locker room. A completely confusing scene then takes place on the lawn of the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium. “It’s complicated… Normally, leaving the field without the referee’s authorization is a yellow card,” assures the former official.
“But the referee could, at some point, have said to himself “we’re not going to wait an hour” and decided to whistle the end of the match, to stop the game completely. If the Senegalese had not returned to the field, they could have suffered heavy sanctions from my CAF,” he concludes.
As locker room leader, Sadio Mané, who remained on the pitch, finally convinced his teammates to return to the game. Brahim Diaz set off… and saw his panenka stopped by Édouard Mendy. An absolutely lunar outcome which will send the two teams into overtime where Pape Gueye will deliver the Senegalese people with an exceptional strike in the first period. A final that will certainly be remembered.
