In the craziest final of a tournament that can be remembered, Senegal won the Africa Cup. He crushed Morocco in Rabat, in front of its people, in its emblematic stadium, in the rain and after an unprecedented outcome. A goal disallowed against Senegal in the … discount, plus a scandalous penalty in favor of Morocco that caused the Senegalese to leave the game. But Brahim failed, UN PNALLTI AND FROM ACCOUNT with ridicule included. The goalkeeper stopped without moving. Senegal returned from the locker room and a goal from Pape Gueye gave them the title.
It is the final of a continent, the most fascinating and poorest on earth, and it is moving to listen to the anthems and see how excited the fans are. Senegal players. Pure exaltation of feelings for emigrants who, like all Africans, are looking for something better in old Europe. And the same for Morocco, everyone sings their national song with sensitivity. All except Brahim, the only one who doesn’t sing. The lyrics are not known.
The match dawns with an exaltation close to the paroxysm of the Moroccan public that packs the new stadium in Rabat. It is a chorus that pushes its team every time it recovers the ball and that rebukes Senegal when it is in possession.
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Senegal
Mendy; Diatta, Niakhaté, Sarr (I. Sarr, 78), Diouf (Jacobs, 106); Lamine Camara (Seck, 78), Pape Gueye, Idrissa Gueye; Sadio Mané, Jackson (Cherif, 90) and Ndiaye (Mbaye, 78). -
Morocco
Bono; Achraf Hakimi, Aguerd, Masina (El Yamiq, 89), Mazraoui; El Aynaoui, Saibari (Eddine, 90), El Khannouss (Taghaline, 80); Abde, Brahim Díaz (Ilias, 95) and El Kaabi (En Nesyri, 80). -
Goals
1-0, 94: Pape Gueye.
But the final that seems aimed at greater glory for the Moroccans goes awry with Senegal’s intelligent approach. Advanced defense, slow pace in contrast to the atmosphere of the stadium and its rival and permanent danger on its attacking front, where the veteran Sadio Mané is still in a position to dictate a course.
Bono, Sevilla’s former goalkeeper, becomes the protagonist of the first half. On two occasions he saved a country from the tragedy that was foreseen. Five minutes into a point-blank header from Pape Gueye. And at 35, a hand in hand style Robben-Casillas which he kicks against Ndiaye.
In between there is a lot of football from Senegal and a lot of energy concentrated in Morocco, which pushes with everything. The pressure, their players, the stadium, the entire country. Brahim does not appearwhich almost doesn’t touch it.
Yes it acts with poison Abde, the Betis strikerwhich marks several notable interventions by the wing, dribbles, feints, cuts, openings and crosses.
Morocco makes the most of its momentum and takes the final in the second half. Feel the call of victory and push with more enthusiasm than football. All occasions are yours. Kaabi fails with his left footed shot. And a few minutes later, Abde shoots wide on a steal Brahim, who is still missing and without influence in the final.
It’s a final and everything happens. Blood oozes from El Aynaoui’s eyebrow after a collision with a rival. The game is going to extra time and no one wants to lose because of a stupid mistake, no one takes any risks. Bono saves Morocco again on a shot by Mbaye, minute 89.
The extension is something never seen before. Senegal scores on a legal play, Seck’s shot to the post and Ismaila Sarr’s rebound. But the Congolese referee Ngambo Ndala decrees a prior foul by Seck on Hakimi. The PSG full-back threw himself to the ground in a legitimate, but unquestionable action. There was no fault anywhere. It was the 93rd minute and there was the title for the Senegalese.
What sounded like a total loss for Senegal at home to Morocco later turns into a monumental scandal. Minute 95, a corner in favor of Morocco ends with an action that seems like nothing. An alleged grab of Diouf to Brahim. The referee didn’t blow his whistle because there was nothing, but the Real Madrid fan complained about it with loud fuss.
The VAR notified the referee and he rectified his decision after a mass consultation on television. It was the beginning of the absolute scandal, in what seemed like a joke in favor of Morocco and against Senegal.
The Senegalese coach ordered his players to rleave the partyangry at the referee’s double decision. The Senegalese listened to their coach and headed to the locker room, but Mané imposed sanity in total madness and encouraged his teammates to return.
Arguments, voices, hookups and a lot of tension. Twenty minutes after giving the penalty, Brahim headed for the fateful spot. Morocco prepared to celebrate the title, the penalty in Senegal. But Brahim makes things worse. Makes a ‘panenka’, tHe goes softly to the center of the goal, where Mendy, Senegal’s goalkeeper, waits without moving and stops the ball so flat. It was not the context for that shot and Brahim swallows saliva and ridicule.
In extra time karma hits Morocco. Great goal from Pape Gueye to the squad after having threatened to withdraw from the game. Morocco is on the canvas, in its country, in its Africa Cup. From here Brahma, devastated. There is a shot against the crossbar in Senegal’s goal, a shot off an empty goal in Morocco’s. A madness that ends at 120 m. with the title for Senegal.
