Senegal’s Pape Gueye reflected on his team’s dramatic walk-off during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, as well as Morocco’s subsequent missed penalty, in an interview with French television on Sunday.
Gueye, who scored the winning goal in Senegal’s 1-0 extra-time victory over Morocco last week, spoke candidly about the controversial moments in the tense final, held in Rabat.
The game was marred by controversy when Morocco were awarded a late penalty, prompting Senegal’s players to walk off the pitch in protest, causing a 20-minute delay. When they returned to the field, Brahim Diaz missed his penalty for Morocco, allowing Gueye to score the match-winner in extra time.
“We are only human, and we realized our mistake. We came back out and finished the game,” said Gueye, the 26-year-old midfielder. “Anyone can make a mistake.”
Gueye went on to praise Sadio Mané for his leadership during the delay. The former Liverpool star remained on the pitch and played a key role in urging his teammates to return for the penalty shootout.
“He found the right words at the right moment, and it shows just how important he is to us. We owe him a big thank you,” Gueye said.
Senegal had been frustrated earlier in the match when a goal was disallowed for what appeared to be a soft foul.
Reflecting on Morocco’s missed penalty, Gueye expressed surprise at Brahim Diaz’s decision to attempt a Panenka, which went horribly wrong. “It was daring, and I wouldn’t have taken that risk myself,” he admitted.
In the aftermath of the controversial walk-off, the Moroccan Football Federation has formally referred the incident, along with the behavior of supporters, to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA for further review.
AFP
