Senegal gamers rejoice with the trophy after beating hosts Morocco within the ultimate to win the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time of their historical past. Photograph: AFP
RABAT:
Senegal shocked Morocco in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) ultimate as Pape Gueye’s aim gave them a 1-0 extra-time win over the hosts on the finish of a match marred by disgraceful scenes following a controversial penalty award.
Brahim Diaz might have gained the trophy for Morocco when he stepped as much as take the spot-kick within the twenty fourth added minute on the finish of regular time.
However Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy simply saved the weak tried chip by the Actual Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the lengthy delay of just about 20 minutes that adopted the penalty award.
Congolese match referee Jean-Jacques Ndala gave the penalty proper on the finish of the allotted eight added minutes following a VAR test for a problem on Diaz within the field by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Diaz, the remainder of the Moroccan workforce and their bench vehemently protested to the referee to test the pictures, however the resolution to ultimately give the spot-kick was met with fury by Senegal and their followers.
As most of their gamers walked off the pitch, some Senegal supporters within the small part of away followers on the reverse finish of the stadium threw chairs and different objects and tried to get onto the sphere of play.
They had been ultimately contained by a big barrier of police and stewards, and their anger turned to please and disbelief when the penalty was saved.
The Senegal workforce had initially been riled by the referee’s resolution to disallow for a foul a aim they scored within the second added minute when Abdoulaye Seck headed off the submit at a nook, and Ismaila Sarr nodded within the rebound.
After Diaz’s penalty miss, nevertheless, it felt nearly inevitable {that a} galvanised Senegal would go on to attain, and so they did so within the fourth minute of additional time to stun the house followers within the crowd of 66,526 on the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Sadio Mane gained possession in midfield and located Idrissa Gana Gueye, who launched his namesake Pape Gueye.
The Villarreal midfielder held off the backtracking Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi as he superior in direction of the field earlier than beating goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with an excellent strike into the highest nook.
Morocco had been distraught, specifically Diaz, who was promptly substituted.
They may nonetheless have compelled a penalty shoot-out, with Nayef Aguerd heading towards the crossbar within the second half of additional time.
But it surely was to not be for the hosts, who had been dreaming of successful the title in entrance of their very own followers to finish a 50-year wait to grow to be African champions for simply the second time.
Senegal might have been extra comfy had Cherif Ndiaye not squandered a wonderful probability to make it 2-0 late within the further interval, however they held on.
It’s their second Cup of Nations title within the final three editions, following their victory over Egypt on penalties in Yaounde in 2022, which secured the trophy for the primary time of their historical past.
They’ll now stay up for heading to the US for the World Cup in June, and can hope to steer star man Mane to play at one other AFCON after he declared that the ultimate can be his final ever recreation on the match.
Any investigation into the disgraceful scenes in the course of the recreation will deal with the conduct of the Senegal workforce and their followers, in addition to any shortcomings by Moroccan organisers.
The incidents got here on the finish of a tense ultimate, which had been low on goalmouth motion — not precisely stunning given the defensive energy of Africa’s finest groups in response to the FIFA rankings.
Senegal’s Iliman Ndiaye was denied by Bounou when clear via with the most effective probability within the first half, whereas Morocco ought to have scored simply earlier than the hour mark, however Ayoub El Kaabi prodded extensive from a Bilal El Khannouss cross.
Then got here the late drama, with Senegal surviving the penalty award earlier than Gueye grew to become their hero, that was the primary aim scored by the Lions of Teranga in an AFCON ultimate after they’d failed to seek out the online in any of their three earlier appearances within the match’s deciding recreation.
It was an agonising method for Morocco’s marketing campaign to finish, and plenty of of their followers had left the stadium earlier than the ultimate whistle on a chilly and moist evening in Rabat.
