Senegal beat Morocco to win the Africa Cup of Nations for a second time – but only after the final was overshadowed when they temporarily refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.
Referee Jean Jacques Ndala gave the spot-kick in the 98th minute after being advised by the video assistant referee (VAR) to consult the pitchside monitor and review defender El Hadji Malick Diouf’s challenge on Brahim Diaz.
Amid sensational scenes, head coach Pape Thiaw, still incensed by Ndala’s decision moments earlier to disallow a Senegal goal, ushered his team off the field.
Former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane stayed on the pitch and tried to encourage his Senegal team-mates to finish the game.
After a delay of about 17 minutes, the players eventually returned.
Real Madrid forward Diaz, the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, was trusted with the penalty, but his tame ‘Panenka’ effort was caught by Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy, who barely had to move, and Ndala immediately blew his whistle for full-time.
Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye then scored the winning goal in the fourth minute of extra time to seal a second triumph in five years for the Lions.
In his post-match news conference, Morocco coach Walid Regragui said Senegal’s actions were “shameful” and do not “honour Africa”.
Thiaw, meanwhile, had his media briefing cancelled after a ruckus broke out in the press room.
But in an interview with BeIN Sport, he accepted that he should not have ordered his team off the field.
“We didn’t agree,” he said. “I don’t want to go over all the incidents. I apologise for the football.
“After reflecting on it, I made them come back [on the pitch] – you can react in the heat of the moment. We accept the errors of the referee.
“We shouldn’t have done it, but it’s done, and now we present our apologies to football.”
Thiaw, 44, was initially furious with referee Ndala for disallowing a goal by Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr, who had bundled home from close range.
His effort was chalked off for a foul by Abdoulaye Seck on Achraf Hakimi in the build-up.
And the penalty decision compounded those feelings. Several Senegal players followed Thiaw’s request to leave the field, while some of their supporters threw objects and attempted to enter the field.
Diaz, who was substituted after Gueye’s goal, was left crestfallen as Morocco missed the chance to win a first Afcon title since 1976.
After the game, Mane said: “Football is something special, the world was watching, so we have to give a good image for football.
“I think it would be crazy not play this game because what, the referee gave a penalty and we go out of the game? I think that would be the worst thing, especially in African football. I’d rather lose than have this kind of thing happen to our football.
“I think it’s really bad. Football should not stop for 10 minutes, but what can we do? We have to accept what we did, but the good thing is that we came back and we played the game and what happened happened.”
Former Chelsea keeper Mendy, who now plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, insisted he was “proud” of the way Senegal – instructed by Mane – returned to the field to win their second Afcon title this decade.
“What did we say to each other? That’s between us,” said Mendy.
“We did it together, and we came back together, that’s all that matters. We can be proud.”
Match-winner Gueye added: “We had a feeling of injustice. Just before the penalty, we thought we should have had a goal, and the referee didn’t go to VAR.
“Sadio [Mane] told us to come back on, and we remobilised. Edouard [Mendy] then made the save, we stayed focused, got the goal and won the game.”
‘It’s an awful way for the tournament to end’
ByJohn Bennett
BBC World Service in Morocco
It’s an awful way for a tournament which had felt like such a great advert for African football to end.
I couldn’t believe the chaos I was witnessing from the commentary box, with some fans trying to get on to the pitch to my left and members of staff being separated down below me in the technical areas.
Then the Senegal players walking down the tunnel. It was a terrible look for the Cup of Nations.
If I look back at the past few weeks covering this event there has been a huge amount of debate – more than most years – about refereeing decisions and VAR, with accusations from some journalists and fans that hosts Morocco were getting the rub of the green from some officials.
It even got to the point where refereeing appointments for certain games became a talking point on social media, putting a lot of pressure on the officials before those games.
Senegal’s complaints about the way they’d been treated leading up to the final – including what they felt was a lack of security when they arrived in Rabat on Friday and their lack of tickets – also increased the tension going into this game.
Nobody expected the scenes we witnessed after the penalty was awarded, though, and this was all in front of the FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was here to present the trophy to the winning side.
Morocco have been praised for the way they’ve organised this tournament – including by big names like Mohamed Salah – for its impressive infrastructure, stadiums, and travel links.
Sadly for them, though, with four years to go until they co-host the World Cup, the astonishing scenes before the Diaz penalty will probably be what will be most remembered about this tournament.
‘Little positive to say, but Mane comes out of this well’
Ian Williams, BBC Sport Africa at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium
There is very little to be positive about at the end of this game, but one person who comes out of it well is Mane.
He was the one Senegal player who clearly did not want to walk down the tunnel and was telling his team-mates to come back out.
He also walked over to the Senegal fans after the full-time whistle, begging them to calm down.
Senegal had ‘concerns’ over treatment before final
Before Sunday’s final in Rabat, the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) expressed “serious concerns” about the team’s security.
The 2021 winners were swarmed by fans when the team bus arrived in the Moroccan capital on Friday.
In a statement on Friday, the FSF also complained about the hotel conditions, the number of tickets allocated to supporters, and the lack of a training pitch at Morocco’s team base.
They said a “lack of adequate security” left players and staff “at risk”.
“What happened yesterday was not normal,” said Thiaw in his pre-match news conference.
“Given the number there, anything could have happened. My players could have been in danger.
“That type of thing should not happen between two brother countries.”
Leaving pitch ‘not a good look for African football’
Former Nigeria forward Efan Ekoku criticised Thiaw and his players, insisting their temporary refusal to play was “not a good look for African football”.
“It [the penalty award] was soft,” Ekoku told E4. “It was foolish and reckless by El Hadji Malick Diouf, but the decision had been made and the players have to abide by that.
“You cannot do that [leave the pitch]. However aggrieved you feel at it you have got to let the referee and the rules [make the decision]… I have got some sympathy, but this is not a good look.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s 2013 winner John Obi Mikel said he could “understand the frustration” but walking off is “not what I want to see”.
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