The Senegalese team left the field after a controversial penalty awarded by VAR, but returned at the insistence of Sadio Mané. Brahim Díaz missed the maximum punishment with a “panenka” attempt, and Pape Gueye scored the winning goal in extra time.
Senegal won the African Cup of Nations after a final marked by moments of great confusion, beating hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time.
The game was marked by an unusual episode already in added time, when the referee awarded a penalty in favor of Morocco, following a foul by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim Díaz while defending a corner.
The decision, taken after consultation with the VAR by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala, generated intense protests from the Senegalese team.
In a sign of protest, selector Pape Bouna Thiaw ordered his players to leave the pitch, in an attitude that provoked shoving and arguments between players and referees.
It was Sadio Mané who ended up convincing his teammates to return to the field, after a delay of around 14 minutes.
At the restart, Brahim Díaz wasted the opportunity to give Morocco the title, by attempting a Panenka penalty, easily saved by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
In extra time, Senegal ended up resolving the final. In the 94th minute, Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal, securing the trophy for the African team.
Senegal’s triumph in the final against the host team is only paralleled by three of the 35 editions of the African Cup of Nations, two of which were led by Ghana, in Tunisia, in 1965, and in Libya, in 1992.
More recently, in 2000, Cameroon won the title against Nigeria, which co-hosted the tournament with Ghana.
