By Deborah Nnamdi
Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye has spoken about the dramatic walk-off by his team and Morocco’s missed penalty during last week’s Africa Cup of Nations final, describing the incident as a human error in a highly charged moment.
Gueye, who scored the decisive goal as Senegal edged Morocco 1–0 after extra time in a controversial final in Rabat, made the remarks in an interview on French television on Sunday. The match was marred by tension after Morocco were awarded a late penalty, prompting Senegal’s players to walk off the pitch in protest and causing a delay of about 20 minutes.
The 26-year-old admitted the decision to leave the pitch was a mistake, saying the players later realized their error and returned to allow the game to continue. He said such moments can happen in the heat of competition, stressing that players are only human and capable of making mistakes.
After play resumed, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz failed to convert the penalty, while Gueye went on to score the winning goal in extra time to secure the title for Senegal.
Gueye reserved special praise for former Liverpool star Sadio Mane, who stayed on the pitch during the protest and encouraged his teammates to return for the penalty. He said Mane said the right things at the right time, underlining his importance to the team, and added that the squad owed him a great deal of gratitude.
Senegal’s frustration had been heightened earlier in the match when a goal was disallowed for what appeared to be a soft foul, further fuelling emotions in the closing stages.
Gueye also expressed surprise at Diaz’s choice of penalty, describing the attempted Panenka, which went badly wrong, as daring and something he would not have risked himself.
Meanwhile, the Moroccan Football Federation has formally reported the walkout by Senegal’s players and the behaviour of supporters to the Confederation of African Football and FIFA for further review.
