Morocco threatens legal action against Senegal for AFCON final
Morocco and Senegal players in a clash after a controversial penalty at the AFCON final (via AP)
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation said it would pursue legal action against the Senegal team following their dramatic withdrawal from the field during the finals of AFCON between Morocco and Senegal, according to a Sky News report on January 19th.
As Senegal clinched their second AFCON victory, Senegalese player Pape Gueye became the sole goal scorer in the final at the 94th minute. But it was preceded by a dramatic turn of events when Morocco was awarded a penalty as Senegal player El Hadji Malick Diouf pulled on Brahim Diaz. The decision was protested by the players, who walked off the pitch on instruction of their manager, Pape Thiaw, for 14 minutes.
The decision led to fights between Morocco and Senegal players and spilled over to the fans who tried to storm the pitch, sparking a chaotic and violent environment in the pitch.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation statement read that it will “pursue legal action with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to rule on the withdrawal 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 award of a penalty deemed correct by all experts.”
They also claimed that the walk-off had “had a significant impact on the normal course of the match and on the players’ performance”.
The walk-off was criticised by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, who called the actions unacceptable, saying that violence must not be tolerated in the sport. CAF, on the other hand, said that it will review the footage and take appropriate action against those who are guilty.
Senegalese head coach, Pape Thiaw, apologised after the match, saying that he reacted in the heat of the moment, while Morocco head coach, Walid Regragui, called out Thiaw on his decision, saying that he created a “shameful” image of football in Africa.
Pape Thiaw was given the same treatment by Moroccan journalists when they walked off in protest as he entered the press conference room. The conference went on for several minutes with arguments between Moroccan and Senegalese journalists.
Some footage also showed Moroccan ballboys and a substitute trying to wrestle a towel from the Senegalese reserve goalkeeper, who was trying to give it to the goalkeeper, Édouard Mendy, due to wet conditions.
While Brahim Diaz missed the penalty to make the Atlas Lions champions, Sadio Mane led his Senegalese team to their second AFCON win after a tough fight.
Sky News, The Guardian, Maghrebi.org
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