Mane Defuses AFCON Final Walkout, Orders Senegal Back to Pitch Against Morocco

|By Babatunji Wusu

Senegal forward Sadio Mané has revealed why he intervened to halt a potential walkout by his teammates during their tense Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final clash against Morocco on Sunday night.

Senegal edged Morocco 1–0 after 120 minutes to clinch their second AFCON title, with Pape Gueye netting the decisive goal in the first half of extra time. However, the historic victory was nearly overshadowed by controversy late in regulation time.

The final was briefly thrown into chaos after the referee awarded Morocco a late penalty for a challenge on Brahim Díaz. Incensed by the decision, Senegalese players protested and moved toward abandoning the pitch in defiance of the call.

As tempers flared, television cameras captured Mané urging his teammates to return to the field and resume play against the AFCON host nation.

Explaining his actions in a post-match interview, the Senegal talisman said he weighed the consequences before stepping in to restore calm.

“When they decided to go out and not play, I stayed and asked some people, ‘What do you think about this, is it a good idea or not?’” Mané said.

He added that he ultimately chose to prioritize the integrity of the game over the disputed decision.

“I decided to go and bring everyone back to the pitch. I think it is the best thing to do. This is just football. The referee can sometimes make mistakes, but we are in the game,” he said.

Mané stressed that the global audience watching the AFCON final made abandoning the match unacceptable, regardless of whether the penalty decision was right or wrong.

“People in the world can judge it. I don’t know if it was a penalty or not, but that is not important. What is more important is the world watching this football, and it is not fair to stop a game like this,” he concluded.