The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has announced its intention to pursue legal action regarding the chaotic and controversial Africa Cup of Nations final held on Sunday. The Federation believes that Senegal’s players’ decision to leave the pitch, resulting in a 15-minute delay, significantly impacted the match outcome.
Senegal claimed their second AFCON title with a 1-0 victory at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, thanks to Pape Gueye’s goal in the 94th minute. This moment followed a dramatic sequence in normal time when Morocco was awarded a penalty after a video assistant referee review deemed El Hadji Malick Diouf’s pull on Brahim Díaz a foul during a corner.
In response to the penalty decision, most of Senegal’s players, following instructions from their manager, Pape Thiaw, walked off the field in protest. They eventually returned, but shortly thereafter, Brahim Díaz missed the penalty, executing a poorly attempted Panenka, allowing Gueye to capitalize on the error.
Díaz has expressed remorse for his miss, describing it as a painful failure from which he will struggle to recover. However, there is a strong sentiment within Morocco that Senegal’s actions disrupted Díaz’s focus and that the events of Sunday require further scrutiny.
In its official statement, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation declared, “We will pursue legal action with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA to address the walk-off of the Senegalese national team during the final against Morocco, as well as the circumstances surrounding this decision. The referee’s penalty call was validated by experts, and this situation significantly influenced the match’s normal progression and the players’ performance.”
Morocco’s head coach, Walid Regragui, criticized Thiaw for orchestrating the walk-off, stating, “The image we project of Africa is shameful.” Thiaw later expressed regret, saying, “Upon reflection, I had them return. Reactions can occur in the heat of the moment. We acknowledge the referee’s mistakes, and while we shouldn’t have acted this way, it has happened, and we apologize to the football community.”
Díaz, however, remains deeply affected by the incident. “My soul hurts,” he said on Monday. “I envisioned this title fueled by your love and support. I fought with all my heart.”
CAF has clearly condemned Senegal’s walk-off, labeling it “unacceptable” and “inappropriate,” and announced it will review all footage and refer the matter to the appropriate bodies for necessary actions against any parties found culpable.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated, “We strongly condemn the actions of certain ‘supporters,’ as well as some Senegalese players and technical staff. Leaving the field in this manner is unacceptable, and we cannot tolerate violence in our sport. Respecting the decisions of match officials is imperative.”
Additionally, footage revealed ballboys attempting to wrestle a towel from Senegal’s reserve goalkeeper, Yehvan Diouf, as he tried to assist Édouard Mendy in wet conditions. A Morocco substitute also appeared to obstruct Diouf’s efforts to provide the towel to Senegal’s goalkeeper.
