RABAT: African football would have been hoping for a thrilling end to a slick and competitive Cup of Nations tournament but will wake up on Monday with a major headache after the final between Senegal and hosts Morocco descended into farce.

Senegal, who won 1-0 after extra time, staged a walk-out after they had a penalty awarded against them deep in stoppage time at the end of the match.

They were ordered off the field by their coach Pape Bouna Thiaw, with some players going back to the dressing room, and it was only after Sadio Mane cajoled them back that the game continued.

“What did we say to each other? That’s between us. We did it together and we came back together, that’s all that matters,” said goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, one of those involved in ugly scenes of jostling and arguing between the players.

A 14-minute delay between the awarding of the penalty, after a lengthy VAR review, and the taking of the kick was followed by a tame effort from Morocco’s Brahim Diaz, who had been their star performer as they reached the final for the first time in 22 years.

His Panenka-style chipped effort floated into Mendy’s arms, leaving the game goalless and having to go into extra time.

“He attempted the Panenka, but I stayed on my feet. We kept the team in the game, and I helped my team at that moment,” Mendy added.

The penalty was awarded following a VAR check by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala after Brahim Diaz had been tugged to the ground by Senegal full back El Hadji Malick Diouf while defending a corner five minutes into stoppage time.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui said the delay did not help Diaz.

“But that doesn’t excuse Brahim for the way he hit the penalty. He hit it like that and we have to accept it. We were one minute from being African champions. That’s football. It’s often cruel. We missed what for some was the opportunity of a lifetime,” he said.

SUPERB WINNING GOAL

Pape Gueye won the trophy for Senegal with a superb strike four minutes into extra time, stunning the vast majority of the 66,526 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium and handing his country their second trophy in the last three editions and extending Morocco’s poor record in the tournament which they have won once previously 50 years ago.

But Senegal’s success will be overshadowed by the controversy of the walk-off, blemishing the image of the African game which only days earlier had boasted of record worldwide revenue for its showpiece tournaments as interest spread worldwide.

Guey said his team had walked off due to a “feeling of injustice” with Senegal already furious at having a goal disallowed for a soft-looking foul minutes earlier.

“Just before the penalty we thought we should have had a goal and the referee didn’t go to VAR,” said Gueye. “Sadio told us to come back on and we re-mobilised.”

However, Morocco coach Walid Regragui was worried by the damage done globally to African football by the chaotic final.

“The image we’ve given of Africa is shameful,” added Regragui. “A coach who asks his players to leave the field. What Pape did does not honour Africa. He wasn’t classy. But he is a champion, so he can say whatever he wants.”

His Senegal counterpart, Thiaw, could face sanctions for his actions. However, he missed the chance to discuss the controversy when his post-match press conference was called off after he was jeered by Moroccan journalists when he entered the room while their Senegalese counterparts applauded him.

Thiaw admitted to broadcaster beIN Sports that he had erred in telling the players to walk off.

“After thinking about it, I realised that I shouldn’t have asked them to go off. I apologise for that,” said Thiaw. “Sometimes you can react in the heat of the moment. Before that we scored a goal that was not given. But now we accept that referees do make mistakes and we apologise.”

‘UNACCEPTABLE SCENES’

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, meanwhile, condemned “some Senegal players” for the “unacceptable scenes”.

“We strongly condemn the behaviour of some ‘supporters’ as well as some Senegalese players and technical staff members,” Infantino said in a statement.

“It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right.”

African football’s governing body CAF did not allocate blame but said they would take “appropriate action” against those “found guilty”.

Infantino’s statement appeared to be designed to avoid criticising Senegal’s former Liverpool star Mane, who urged his team-mates to return to the game for the penalty.

Infantino, who was seen talking to Mane during the trophy presentation, said teams have to abide by the match officials’ decisions.

“We must always respect the decisions taken by the match officials on and off the field of play... because anything less puts the very essence of football at risk.”

Infantino, who will be hoping there are no such scenes in this year’s World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, said Sunday’s events sent the wrong message to supporters round the world.

“It is also the responsibility of teams and players to act responsibly and set the right example for fans in the stadiums and millions watching around the world,” he said.

“The ugly scenes witnessed today must be condemned and never repeated... and I expect that the relevant disciplinary bodies at CAF will take the appropriate measures.”

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2026