Morocco to take legal action after Senegal walk-off chaos in AFCON final
Morocco’s football authorities have announced plans to pursue legal action following the chaotic and controversial Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, arguing that the decision by Senegal’s players to walk off the pitch caused a disruption that materially affected the outcome of the match.
Senegal won the final 1-0 at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, with Pape Gueye scoring in the 94th minute after extra time, but the decisive goal came after a dramatic and disorderly conclusion to normal time. Morocco were awarded a penalty following a video assistant referee review that penalised El Hadji Malick Diouf for pulling down Brahim Díaz while defending a corner.
The decision sparked a furious reaction from Senegal, with the majority of their players leaving the pitch on the instructions of head coach Pape Thiaw in protest. The walk-off led to a delay of about 15 minutes before play eventually resumed and Díaz stepped up to take the spot-kick. The Real Madrid forward attempted a Panenka that was easily saved, before Senegal went on to secure victory in extra time.
In a strongly worded statement, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation said it would seek redress from both the Confederation of African Football and Fifa. “The Royal Moroccan Football Federation announces that it will pursue legal action with the Confederation of African Football [Caf] and Fifa to rule on the walk-off of the Senegalese national team from the field during the final against the Moroccan national team, as well as on the events surrounding this decision, following the referee’s awarding of a penalty that was deemed correct by all experts,” the statement said.
“This situation had a significant impact on the normal course of the match and on the players’ performance,” it added, reflecting a belief within the Moroccan camp that the lengthy delay contributed to Díaz’s miss by unsettling him at a crucial moment.
Morocco head coach Walid Regragui was scathing in his assessment of Senegal’s conduct, accusing Thiaw of damaging the image of African football. “The image we’ve given of Africa is shameful,” he said. Thiaw later offered an apology, conceding that emotions had got the better of him. “After reflecting on it, I made them come back – you can react in the heat of the moment,” he told beIN Sports. “We accept the errors of the referee. We shouldn’t have done it but it’s done and now we present our apologies to football.”
Díaz, who finished the tournament as the leading scorer, has already taken personal responsibility for the miss, describing the emotional toll it has taken on him. “My soul hurts,” he said on Monday. “I dreamed of this title thanks to all the love you all gave me, every message, every show of support that made me feel I wasn’t alone. I fought with everything I had, with my heart above all else.
“Yesterday I failed and I take full responsibility. I apologise from the bottom of my heart. It will be hard for me to recover, because this wound doesn’t heal easily … but I will try. Not for myself, but for everyone who believed in me and for everyone who suffered with me. I will keep going forward until one day I can give you all this love back and become a source of pride for my Moroccan people.”
Caf has also condemned the walk-off, describing Senegal’s actions as “unacceptable” and “inappropriate”, and confirming that it would be “reviewing all footage and will refer the matter to competent bodies for appropriate action to be taken against those found guilty”.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino echoed that stance, saying: “We strongly condemn the behaviour of some ‘supporters’ as well as some Senegalese players and technical staff members. It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right. We must always respect the decisions taken by the match officials.”
The controversy was compounded by further unsavoury scenes during the delay, with television footage showing ballboys attempting to wrestle a towel from Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvan Diouf as he tried to pass it to Édouard Mendy in wet conditions. A Morocco substitute also appeared to intervene in an effort to prevent the towel from reaching Senegal’s first-choice goalkeeper.
With legal proceedings now being prepared, the fallout from one of the most tumultuous finals in Africa Cup of Nations history shows no sign of abating.
