Senegal manager Pape Thiaw saw his press conference cancelled amid a heated reaction to their controversial Africa Cup of Nations final victory over Morocco, after being accused of ‘shameful’ actions.
Thiaw had directed his players off the pitch in protest over a late penalty awarded to Morocco in the dying minutes of normal time, just minutes after Senegal had seen a goal disallowed.
After a lengthy delay, which had seen violent clashes between fans and riot police in Rabat, Senegal had returned to the pitch to complete the final.
Morocco star Brahim Diaz saw his Panenka penalty saved, with Senegal eventually winning the final 1-0 in extra-time through a stunning Pape Gueye strike.
The fallout from the controversial final was clear in the post-match press conferences, as Morocco boss Walid Regragui accused Thiaw of brining shame on African football. Regragui also faced calls to resign from Moroccan journalists following their final defeat.
‘The image we’ve given of Africa is shameful. A coach who asks his players to leave the field … What Pape did does not honour Africa,’ Regragui said.
‘He wasn’t classy. But he is a champion, so he can say whatever he wants. We stopped the match in the eyes of the world for 10 minutes.
‘That didn’t help Brahim. That doesn’t excuse Brahim for the way he hit the penalty. He hit it like that and we have to accept it. We were one minute from being African champions. That’s football. It’s often cruel. We missed what for some was the opportunity of a lifetime.’
Thiaw’s press conference was cancelled amid arguments between Moroccan and Senegalese journalists, after the winning coach and his daughter had been met with a mix of boos and cheers.
The Senegal boss later admitted he regretted ordering his players of the pitch in the final.
‘I apologise for the football,’ Thiaw said. ‘After reflecting on it I made them come back – you can react in the heat of the moment.
‘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.’
Footage has continued to emerge of other incidents from the controversial final, including a bizarre clash between Senegal goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf and ball boys.
Diouf had been stationed close to the Senegal goal to protect the towel by Edouard Mendy’s goal.
Moroccan substitute Ismael Saibari was seen standing in front of him in an attempt to prevent him from passing the towel to Mendy, with a clip showing him darting throwing it towards his compatriot.
Another clip showed Diouf holding the towel and being confronted by ball boys, who were seen attempting to snatch it away.
Diouf was dragged to the ground and fell onto the pitch at one moment. He was then seen being chased around the touchline by member of security and the ball boys.
At one point, Moroccan fans were seen waving one of Mendy’s blue towels in the stands.
The 26-year-old goalkeeper was able to make light of the bizarre incident after Senegal’s victory.
Diouf shared a social media post following the final, writing ‘She’s here (the medal and towel’, accompanied by a laughing face.
In a post-match interview, Diouf claimed Senegal had been aware of a similar incident occurring in the semi-finals and declared it had not been ‘fair play’ by the host nation.
‘For me, they were just towels, nothing more, for drying gloves and faces,’ Diouf told wiwsport.
‘Perhaps there’s a bit of folklore surrounding these towels, but for me, it was something quite ordinary.
‘I was just as surprised as you when I saw them trying to take them. We’d already seen with Nigeria that every time towels were put out, the stewards usually went behind them to collect them.
‘I don’t know why they did it, but I think it wasn’t fair play, at least not on their part.
‘After that, I tried to make sure that Doudou was in the best possible conditions, because we need guys like him 100 per cent focused on the field.’
Senegal had been able to celebrate a second AFCON title in the past three editions of the tournament, with their players having collapsed in ecstasy on the sodden pitch after the most dramatic reversals of fortune.
Morocco saw their 50-year wait to get their hands on the trophy roll on.
Pundits including Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel were critical of Senegal’s protest during the final, but also stressed that they believed the penalty decision was unjustified.
‘I can understand their frustration,’ Obi Mikel said on E4. ‘But walking off the pitch is not what I want to see.’
Former Nigeria striker Efan Ekoku added: ‘You cannot do that. However aggrieved you feel… I have got some sympathy, but this is not a good look.
‘I think it was foolish and reckless by El Hadji Malick Diouf, but the decision has been made and the players have to abide by that. Whatever happens now is not a good look for African football.’
On the penalty, he wondered ‘what Brahim Diaz (was) doing’ and called him ‘too clever for his own good.’
‘To do that is absolutely ridiculous. He may never ever get another chance to score a winning goal in an AFCON final.’
