By Martin Graham
The match and the winning goal
The Senegal national football team became the winner of the African Cup of Nations by defeating Morocco 1:0 after extra time in the final. The regular time in Rabat ended with a 0:0 scoreline. Senegalese midfielder Pape Gueye scored the winning goal in the 4th minute of the first extra time.
During added time in the second half, a goal by Senegalese defender Abdoulaye Seck was disallowed after a video review. Later, a penalty was awarded against Senegal for a foul by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Moroccan midfielder Brahim Diaz. In protest of this decision, Senegal’s head coach, Pape Thiaw, led his players off the field.
They returned 14 minutes later after persuasion from team captain Sadio Mané. When play resumed, Diaz failed to convert the penalty kick.
Controversies and consequences
After the match, Morocco’s head coach, Walid Regragui, criticized Thiaw’s decision to take his team off the field and defended Diaz for missing the penalty. “I think a lot of time passed before Brahim could take the penalty, and it confused him,” Regragui said. The coach also called the match a disgrace to Africa’s image.
The referee’s decision regarding the foul on Diaz led to a scuffle between the coaching staffs and players of both teams. This was followed by disturbances in the stands. Senegalese fans began jumping over advertising boards onto the pitch; some ran to the edge of the field, while others began throwing various objects at stadium security personnel. Several Senegalese fans were removed by police, and one steward was carried out on a stretcher.
As noted by The Guardian, Senegal’s head coach and some players will likely face sanctions due to their behaviour. Also, after the match, Sadio Mané announced he would no longer play in the African Cup of Nations.
Context and previous complaints
It is worth noting that even before the match, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) accused Morocco of poor preparation for the final. The Senegalese delegation was dissatisfied with the level of security, accommodations, and confusion with training bases. They also complained about being allocated only about 2,800 tickets for a stadium with a capacity of 69,500.
The Senegal national team won the African Cup of Nations for the second time, having previously won in 2021. The tournament is held every two years, and the record holder for victories is Egypt’s national team, with seven trophies.
