Accompanied by heated debates and the threat of a game being abandoned, Senegal’s national football team won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. Four years after the triumph in Cameroon, the team led by superstar Sadio Mané won the final against hosts Morocco 1-0 (0-0, 0-0) after extra time. Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal in Rabat in the 94th minute with a remarkable shot from around 16 meters into the corner.
Brahim Díaz became a tragic figure on the Moroccan side, miserably missing a Panenka-style penalty in his last action before extra time. There had been intense discussions for almost 20 minutes before the Real Madrid attacker’s execution. In protest against what they saw as the wrong decision, Senegal’s players even marched into the dressing room. For a short time there was a threat of cancellation.
Controversial referee decisions lead to turmoil
The tumultuous scenes were triggered by a duel between Díaz and Senegal’s El Hadji Malick Diouf. After a slight hold in the penalty area, Díaz energetically called for a penalty. Amid great protest from the Senegalese, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo from the Democratic Republic of Congo looked at the scene again on the TV screen – and pointed to the spot after the VAR decision.
Then the drama began: Senegal’s players and staff raged, coach Pape Thiaw even ordered his players into the dressing room after long and heated debates. They didn’t stay there long. Ex-Munich Mané was the first to ask his teammates to return to the pitch. When Díaz was finally allowed to take the ball, he decided to lob it into the middle of the goal. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy stopped and effortlessly held onto the ball.
Not the only controversial scene
The frustration among Mané & Co. was also great because shortly before the penalty scene the referee had denied them a goal after a corner because of a foul on Hakimi – also an extremely controversial decision.
In extra time, with good chances on both sides, the Senegalese looked a bit better physically and mentally. After Gueye’s dream goal, which hit the ball perfectly as it fell, the Senegalese defended passionately. The strong Bono prevented the 2-0 – at the end of a memorable final it didn’t matter. For the second time after 2022, Senegal was crowned champion of Africa.
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