Senegal have done the unthinkable by showing character to beat hosts Morocco in sensational fashion to clinch their second Africa Cup of Nations crown in Rabat on Sunday.
Although Pape Gueye decided the outcome of the match with an unstoppake strike four mnutes into extra time at the end of a pulsating 90 minutes, Senegal talisman Sadio Mane attracted all the plaudits after refusing to join the rest of his teammaes off the pitch and into the dressing room after referee Jean Jacques Ndala had awarded a last minute penalty to the hosts. The came minutes after Senegal thought they had scored through Ismaila Sarr’s scrambled header after a corner only for Congolese referee to overturn it after an apparent foul on a Moroccan player as the ball was in flight. Replays showed that the decision may have been harsh on the Senegalese who protested. Mane showed leadership by calling his teammates back onto the pitch when a penalty was awarded against them for a foul by West Ham defender Pape Malick Diouf on a Moroccan player, coming minutes after the disallowed goal at the other end.
When all his teamates and the coach Pape Thiaw had lost their bearings, it was Mane who had showed leadership in the face of adversity and the gamble paid off with the penalty miss, sending the final into extra time which produced the decider by Gueye.
There was pandemonium in the stands at the Prince Moulaye Abdellah Stadium in Rabat as irate Senegalese fans vented their anger at match officials and other in the dougouts.
After sanity had returned to the pitch, the drama continued at the restart when Brahim Dias who is the tournament’s leading goal scorer with 5 goals unleashed a soft (panenka) penalty kick which Teranga Lions goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily gathered, pointing to skies to invoke poetic justice being served.
The penalty miss set the scene for a tense 30 minutes of extra time, Villareal midfielder Gueye showing determination and composure to run eight yards into the Moroccan box to unleash the shot which would silence thousands of Moroccan fans in the stadiums and millions outside of its to give Senegal a deserved lead four minutes in.
It was the first time in the tournament that the host had fallen behind from which they never recovered. But for some outstanding goalkeeping from Yassin Bounou, the Atlas Lions would have fallen further behind as Senegal threatened to put a gloss over the scoreline.
Both finalists who are regarded as the strongest sides in African football currently, showed attacking intent and missed glorious chances to score through the course of ninety minutes with Morocco hitting the post and Senegal coming close through Illman Ndiaye who shot was smothered by the Moroccan keeper in the first half.
El Kaabi had a gilt-edged chance to hand Morocco the lead with only Mendy to beat but fluffed his shot wide when put through on goal midway in the second half.
Senegal showed resilience in the face of thousands of hostile home fans who were baying for their team to win their first Africa Cup of Nations title in almost fifty years. Since the final whistle, the celebrations in Morocco and across Senegal have been wild and went on long into night.
This is expected to continue a few more days in Senegal where Mane and his teammates are alreadly cult heroes, winning another continental title which would also be remembered for the eventual winners’ brief protest walkout from the pitch.
Until the incident, the tournament was generally seen as the best advert for African football, the final of which was watched by people in 170 countries.
According to Morocco coach Walid Regragui after the match, the walkout reflected poorly on African footall and was least expected at the continental showpiece for the sport.
WN/as/APA