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Senegal stunned hosts Morocco in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final, with Pape Gueye’s goal giving them a 1-0 extra-time win, a match marred by disgraceful scenes following a controversial penalty award.
Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco when he stepped up to take the spot-kick in the 24th added minute at the end of normal time, but Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay of almost 20 minutes that followed the penalty award.
Congolese match referee Jean-Jacques Ndala gave the penalty right at the end of the allotted eight added minutes following a VAR check for a challenge on Diaz in the box by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Diaz, the rest of the Moroccan team, and their bench vehemently protested to the referee to check the images, but the decision to eventually award the spot-kick was met with fury by Senegal and its fans.
As most of their players walked off the pitch, some Senegal supporters in the small section of away fans at the opposite end of the stadium threw chairs and other objects and attempted to get onto the field of play. They were eventually contained by a large barrier of police and stewards, and their anger turned to delight and disbelief when the penalty was saved.
The Senegal team had initially been riled by the referee’s decision to disallow a goal they scored in the second added minute when Abdoulaye Seck headed off the post at a corner, and Ismaila Sarr nodded in the rebound.
After Diaz’s penalty miss, however, it felt almost inevitable that a galvanised Senegal would go on to score, and they did so in the fourth minute of extra time to stun the home fans in the crowd of 66,526 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
