Sadio Mane was central to getting the AFCON final back on track and ultimately winning after Senegal walked off in protest over a late penalty decision.
Sadio Mane has been praised for getting Senegal back on the pitch after the protests (Image: )
Sadio Mane was determined to give a “good image to football” by ignoring Senegal’s protests in the AFCON final, insisting he would “rather lose” in an unpleasant situation.
The final in Rabat descended into chaos when Senegalese coach Pape Tiao, angry at Morocco’s second-half penalty, ordered his players and staff off the pitch while the match remained scoreless. This resulted in a 17 minute delay before we finally got back.
Mane was the only member of his squad not to take part in the protest, and the former Liverpool player was pictured entering the dressing room and leading his colleagues back onto the pitch with the help of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. When they returned, Brahim Diaz missed from 12 yards.
Senegal ran out winners in extra time to further cement Mane’s place in Africa as they clinched their second AFCON title, but it was his determination to get his team-mates on the pitch that earned him immense praise.
He said: “Soccer is something special. The world was watching. The world loves football and I think football is a joy, so we have to give football a good image.”
read more: Senegal coach ‘kicked out of press conference’ after ordering team off pitch during AFCON finalread more: AFCON final plunges into chaos as Senegalese player sent off after controversial penalty
“I think it’s something wrong for a referee to give a penalty and send you off the game. I think that’s the worst thing, especially in African football. I’d rather lose than have something like this happen to our football. I think it’s really bad. Football shouldn’t stop for even 10 minutes, but what can we do? We have to stop, but it was good to come back and play and what happened is what happened.”
Mane admitted this would be his last AFCON and was presented with the captain’s armband by his team-mates before the trophy was lifted. Former Moroccan international Hassan Kashroul said that until Mr Mane asserted his influence, “African football and world football were losing”.
Sadio Mane wins his second AFCON with Senegal (Image: )
“What I like most of all is that the only player in the Senegalese team is Sadio Mane,” he told E4. “That shows what a great man he is. He went back into the dressing room and brought the players back. Mane was the man who brought them back.”
Since then, Thiau has admitted his mistake and confessed that he let his emotions get the better of him.
“I apologize for football,” he said. “After reflecting, I let them return (to the pitch). It’s okay to react in the heat of the moment. We accept the referee’s mistake. We shouldn’t have done it, but it’s over and now we apologize to the football community.”
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