FIFA President Gianni Infantino has condemned the actions of some Senegalese players and supporters following what he described as “unacceptable scenes” that overshadowed Senegal’s victory in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco.
In a statement sent to AFP, Infantino criticised the decision by several Senegal players and members of the technical crew to walk off the pitch in protest at a penalty awarded to Morocco late in the game.
“We strongly condemn the behaviour of some ‘supporters’ as well as some Senegalese players and technical staff members. It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner,” Infantino said, adding that violence had no place in football.
The final was disrupted deep into injury time of normal play, with the score level at 0-0, when Morocco were awarded a penalty following a VAR review of a challenge on Brahim Diaz. In protest, most of the Senegal players walked off the pitch, while former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane remained and attempted to persuade his team-mates to return.
Senegal players were already aggrieved after having a goal disallowed moments earlier for what they felt was a soft foul decision. Tensions also spilled into the stands, where some Senegal supporters reportedly attempted to enter the field of play and clashed with security personnel.
The match was delayed for nearly 20 minutes before Diaz eventually took the penalty, but his attempted panenka was saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The game then went into extra time, where Pape Gueye scored a decisive goal in the fourth minute to secure a 1-0 victory for Senegal.
While congratulating Morocco on what he described as “a fantastic tournament” both as runners-up and hosts, Infantino stressed that teams must respect the authority of match officials.
“We must always respect the decisions taken by the match officials on and off the field of play,” he said. “Teams must compete on the pitch and within the Laws of the Game, because anything less puts the very essence of football at risk.”
Infantino warned that the scenes sent the wrong message to fans around the world, particularly with major global tournaments approaching. He said players and teams had a responsibility to set a positive example for supporters in stadiums and millions watching worldwide.
“The ugly scenes witnessed today must be condemned and never repeated,” he said, adding that he expected the relevant Confederation of African Football disciplinary bodies to take appropriate action.
