FIFA president Gianni Infantino condemns Senegal players for walking off the pitch in AFCON final, calling the scenes “unacceptable” and damaging to football.
RABAT: FIFA president Gianni Infantino has condemned “some Senegal players” for the “unacceptable scenes” which overshadowed their Africa Cup of Nations final victory.
The showpiece event was marred when most Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest at a late penalty awarded to Morocco after a VAR check.
Infantino stated that leaving the field in such a manner is unacceptable and that violence cannot be tolerated in the sport.
He praised Morocco’s hosting but stressed teams must respect match officials’ decisions to protect the essence of football.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui expressed shame at the global image projected, with the game halted for over 10 minutes during the chaos.
The incident occurred deep in injury time with the match locked at 0-0, prompting a near 20-minute delay before the penalty was taken.
Senegal were already furious at having a goal disallowed minutes earlier for what they perceived as a soft foul.
Senegal’s eventual match-winner Pape Gueye said the walk-off was due to a “feeling of injustice” over the disallowed goal.
He revealed that Sadio Mane, who remained on the pitch, urged his teammates to return for the penalty kick.
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw later apologised, admitting he erred in telling his players to leave the field in the heat of the moment.
The penalty itself, a weak ‘panenka’ by Brahim Diaz, was saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Gueye then scored a brilliant goal in extra time to secure a 1-0 victory for Senegal, stunning the home crowd in Rabat.
Infantino emphasised that players and teams have a responsibility to set the right example for fans worldwide.
He expects the Confederation of African Football’s disciplinary bodies to take appropriate measures regarding the incident.
The FIFA president was seen talking to Mane during the trophy presentation following the controversial match.
