Senegal Win AFCON After Final Mired with Controversy
Image courtesy of CNN.
By Griffin Cappiello
This past weekend, Senegal and Morocco met in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the biennial tournament to crown the champion of African soccer.
Both sides finished first in their respective groups in the first stage of the competition. Morocco, the host nation, topped Group A with wins over Comoros and Zambia and a draw against Mali. Senegal won Group D, defeating Botswana and Benin and drawing with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Each side only conceded 1 goal in the group stage, setting them up to be favorites throughout the knockout stages.
In the round of 16, Senegal found a comfortable 3-1 win over Sudan, while Morocco defeated Tanzania 1-0. In the quarterfinals, Senegal knocked out Mali in a 1-0 match, and Morocco beat Cameroon 2-0.
In the semifinals, Senegal faced a tough opponent in Mohamed Salah and Egypt, but his former Liverpool teammate, Sadio Mané, found the back of the net to send Senegal to their third AFCON final appearance in the last four editions of the tournament. Achraf Hakimi and Morocco faced off against Victor Osimhen and Nigeria in a match that ended 0-0. Morocco was victorious in the ensuing penalty shootout, scoring four of their five spot kick attempts.
The final remained scoreless until deep into stoppage time in the second half. Midfielder Ismaila Sarr headed the ball after it had been hit off the post and seemingly took the lead for Senegal, but referee Jean-Jaques Ndala Ngambo ruled that Hakimi had been fouled in the build-up and took the goal off the board. Because he had blown his whistle before the ball entered the net, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) could not review the play, much to the dismay of the Senegalese players and fans.
Just moments later, on the other end of the field, Ngambo made another contentious decision when he ruled that Senegalese defender El Hadji Malick Diouf had brought down Moroccan forward Brahim Diaz in the box and whistled for a penalty.
After awarding the penalty, a confrontation broke out between the two benches, and Senegal’s manager, Pape Thiaw, instructed his team to leave the field in protest. The game was delayed as the Senegal players, barring captain Mané, returned to their dressing room, and fighting broke out among the fans.
Image courtesy of The Athletic.
In the midst of the chaos, a stadium steward was injured and needed to be carried from the field, while videos circulated on social media of Moroccan ball boys chasing after Senegal’s backup goalkeeper, Yehvan Diouf, who was attempting to collect starter Edouard Mendy’s towel.
After sixteen minutes, the Senegalese players returned to the field to resume the match. Diaz stepped up to take the penalty and chipped a Panenka directly into the hands of Mendy. The match was scoreless at the end of regulation time, sending the already-chaotic game into extra time.
Four minutes into the first period of extra time, midfielder Pape Gueye launched a shot into the back of the net to give Senegal the lead. They hung on for the remainder of extra time, and Senegal won their second AFCON title in four years.
“We saw what happened at the end of the game, but we decided to come back to the pitch and give our all. We were able to score and win the game,” Gueye, who was named Player of the Match, said after the game. “We had felt some injustice because before that, there was a fault for us but the referee did not see it. As humans, we felt frustrated. Sadio told us to come back (on the pitch), we found the strength to come back and Mendy saved the penalty.”
Senegal are set to face off against the US Men’s National Team on May 31 in a friendly match prior to the start of the 2026 World Cup. In the World Cup, they are slated to play France, Norway, and the winner of FIFA Play-Off Tournament 2, while Morocco is set to face off against Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti.
