Senegal supervisor ‘hounded out of press convention’ after ordering workforce off pitch in AFCON ultimate
Senegal boss Pape Thiaw was booed by Moroccan journalists as he looked to conduct his post-match press conference following his side’s Africa Cup of Nations win
Pape Thiaw ordered his team off the field(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Senegal’s manager Pape Thiaw declined to hold his press conference after his team’s Africa Cup of Nations victory, as he was met with jeers from the media upon entering the room. The Moroccan press reportedly booed and drove Thiaw out following Senegal’s dramatic win over Morocco in the tournament’s final.
Thiaw, 44, instructed his team to leave the pitch when Morocco were given a questionable penalty while the game was tied. Just moments before, Senegal had a goal disallowed due to a dubious foul, and the referee’s decision to award a penalty seemed to be the last straw.
West Ham’s El Hadji Malick Diouf was deemed to have fouled Morocco’s Brahim Diaz, leading to referee Jean-Jacques Ndala being called to review the incident via VAR. A number of Senegal supporters stormed the pitch, prompting security to intervene.
Former Liverpool ace Sadio Mane eventually convinced his fellow players to return to the match, which was delayed by 17 minutes. Diaz then took the penalty, attempting a Panenka that went straight into the arms of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
The match went into extra time, with Papa Gueye scoring a stunning goal at the 94-minute mark, securing the championship for Senegal. However, Thiaw’s celebrations were cut short ahead of his press conference, causing him to storm out.
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Morocco’s manager Walid Regragui didn’t hold back in his criticism of Thiaw. “The image we’ve given of Africa is shameful. A coach who asks his players to leave the field … What Pape did does not honour Africa,” he declared.
“He had already started in the [pre-match] press conference. He wasn’t classy. But he is a champion, so he can say whatever he wants.
“We stopped the match in the eyes of the world for 10 minutes. That didn’t help Brahim.
“That doesn’t excuse Brahim for the way he hit the penalty. He hit it like that and we have to accept it.
“We were one minute from being African champions. That’s football. It’s often cruel. We missed what for some was the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Goalscorer Gueye, tried to shed light on Senegal’s actions. “What we felt was injustice. There had been a foul for us and the referee chose not to look at the VAR,” he explained.
“We were frustrated, but Sadio [Mané] told us to come back on the pitch to remobilise us. We all saw what happened at the end. We took the decision to come back on the pitch to give everything – which we did.”
