Africa Cup: Curious scene within the last – the group leaves the pitch in protest | EUROtoday

Accompanied by heated debates and the specter of a sport being deserted, Senegal’s nationwide soccer group received the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. Four years after the triumph in Cameroon, the group led by famous person Sadio Mané received the ultimate towards hosts Morocco 1-0 (0-0, 0-0) after additional time. Pape Gueye scored the decisive objective in Rabat within the 94th minute with a exceptional shot from round 16 meters into the nook.

Brahim Díaz grew to become a tragic determine on the Moroccan facet, miserably lacking a Panenka-style penalty in his final motion earlier than additional time. There had been intense discussions for nearly 20 minutes earlier than the Real Madrid attacker’s execution.

Senegal’s coach, Pape Thiaw, even led his group off the sphere at one level whereas the Moroccan followers cheered and whistled. Senegalese followers, in flip, tried to storm onto the pitch. Photos confirmed clashes with safety forces. For a short while there was a menace of cancellation.

“We were all very, very speechless, stunned,” stated former Bundesliga skilled Michél Dinzey, a TV professional at Sportdigital, concerning the dramatic growth after 90 minutes. Dinzey continued that he was extremely sorry for Díaz, who was substituted in additional time and watched the remainder of the motion from the bench with deep disappointment. He disenchanted a whole nation. But: “You don’t shoot a penalty like that.”

Controversial referee selections result in turmoil

The tumultuous scenes had been triggered by a duel between Díaz and Senegal’s El Hadji Malick Diouf. After a slight maintain within the penalty space, Díaz energetically referred to as for a penalty. Amid nice protest from the Senegalese, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo from the Democratic Republic of Congo seemed on the scene once more on the TV display screen – and pointed to the spot after the VAR determination.

Then the drama started: Senegal’s gamers and workers raged, coach Pape Thiaw ordered his gamers into the dressing room. They did not keep there lengthy. Ex-Munich Mané was the primary to ask his teammates to return to the pitch. When Díaz was lastly allowed to take the ball, he determined to lob it into the center of the objective. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy stopped and effortlessly held onto the ball.

Tempers additionally ran excessive within the press field at instances and journalists bought into arguments with one another. The frustration amongst Mané & Co. was additionally nice as a result of shortly earlier than the penalty scene the referee had denied them a objective after a nook due to a foul on Hakimi – additionally an especially controversial determination.

In additional time, with good possibilities on each side, the Senegalese seemed a bit higher bodily and mentally. After Gueye’s dream objective, which hit the ball completely because it fell, the Senegalese defended passionately. The robust Bono prevented the rating from making it 2-0 – on the finish of a memorable last it did not matter. For the second time after 2022, Senegal was topped champion of Africa.