Senegal match-winner Pape Gueye has broken his silence on the chaos that engulfed the Africa Cup of Nations final — from Senegal’s dramatic walk-off to Morocco’s missed penalty that swung the game.
Gueye struck the decisive extra-time goal as Senegal edged Morocco 1-0 in a heated final in Rabat last week.
But the flashpoint came earlier, when Morocco were awarded a late penalty, prompting Senegal’s players to walk off the pitch in protest and causing a 20-minute delay.
“We’re only human. We realised our mistake and came back out,” Gueye admitted on French television. “Anyone can make a mistake.”
When play resumed, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz had the chance to break the deadlock. But his audacious panenka attempt went badly wrong.
Moments later, Senegal
seized control, and Gueye delivered the winner in extra time.
Gueye reserved special praise for Sadio Mané, who stayed on the pitch during the chaos and convinced his teammates to return.
“He found the right words at the right moment,” Gueye said. “It shows just how important he is to us. We owe him a big thank you.”
Senegal’s frustration had been simmering even before the penalty, having seen a goal ruled out minutes earlier for what they felt was a soft foul.
As for Diaz’s failed spot-kick, Gueye couldn’t hide his surprise.
“It was daring,” he said. “I wouldn’t have taken that risk myself.”
In the aftermath, the Moroccan Football Federation has formally referred the walk-off and crowd behaviour to the Confederation of African Football and FIFA, ensuring the controversial final will continue to be debated long after the final whistle.
(with AFP inputs)
