Scandal in the Africa Cup final Angry Mané becomes a hero: "He came in and shouted at us"

Ball boys steal towels, fans want to storm the pitch, Senegal's team leaves the pitch in protest - and in the end Sadio Mané becomes a hero. FIFA President Infantino calls for consequences.

DPA

19.01.2026, 16:11

19.01.2026, 16:20

dpa

For Sadio Mané, it was certainly the most memorable tantrum of his career. Senegal's superstar folded up his teammates in the dressing room, sent them back into the hostile atmosphere of the Africa Cup final and became the hero of a unique night. "I did what I had to do," said the former Bayern star - as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

But in this final in Rabat, which Senegal won 1-0 after extra time against Morocco, little was normal in the end. It was about to be abandoned. After the referee first disallowed a somewhat dubious goal for Senegal in stoppage time of normal time, but then whistled a questionable penalty for the hosts shortly afterwards, Pape Thiaw had had enough. Senegal's coach summoned his team to the dressing room in protest.

Drama in the Africa Cup finalSenegal players leave the pitch after VAR intervention - then events turn upside down

"When Sadio talks, everyone listens"

Only a few players around Sadio Mané remained on the pitch. The captain sought advice from coaching legend Claude Le Roy, then ran into the dressing room. "He came in and shouted. Shouted at us to go on the pitch and finish the game," reported midfielder Lamine Camara. "When Sadio talks, everyone listens. We listened to him and it went well for us."

In contrast to his coach, who acted like an offended schoolboy, Mané was able to see the bigger picture in this situation. "It would have been crazy to give up the game because of a penalty. That would have been the worst thing for African football. I'd rather lose," said the striker. It was impossible for the whole world to see this picture.

Morocco's top scorer Brahim Díaz miserably missed the penalty in the 24th minute of stoppage time, while a dream goal from Pape Gueye secured Senegal's second tournament triumph since 2022 in extra time. But the main issue now is the scandal, especially as Senegal fans had also tried to storm the pitch, leading to clashes with security forces.

Criticism for opponents and own playersMorocco rages after final drama: "The game was shameful for Africa"

Infantino calls for consequences

Even the top football boss intervened. "We strongly condemn the behavior of some "fans" as well as some Senegalese players and members of the coaching staff. It is unacceptable to leave the pitch in this way and violence must not be tolerated in our sport," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. He expects the relevant disciplinary bodies of the African Football Confederation CAF to take the appropriate measures.

Morocco's coach Walid Regragui described the incident as "shameful for Africa". His counterpart Thiaw apologized. "Sometimes you react in the heat of the moment," said the 44-year-old. "We accept the referee's mistakes, that can happen. We shouldn't have reacted like that, but that's in the past now. We apologize to football."

In order to understand Thiaw's overreaction, it is necessary to look at the entire final and the tournament as a whole. During the final, a large proportion of the almost 70,000 fans created a toxic atmosphere, which is completely normal.

Ball boys want to steal towel

Less normal, however, is the fact that several ball boys repeatedly tried to steal Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy's towel in the pouring rain. In the end, Senegal's substitute player had to take the piece of cloth and defend it. And ex-Dortmund player Achraf Hakimi doesn't deserve a fair play award for taking Mendy's towel and throwing it over the bar.

Moroccans trample fair play underfootHakimi supports scarf thieves - Senegal substitute goalie is the unsung hero

And then there was the matter of the referees. Benin coach Gernot Rohr said on Deutschlandfunk radio that they sometimes "showed a bit of sympathy" for Morocco. But not only that. Before the quarter-final between Morocco and Cameroon, the referee and video referee were replaced at short notice.

In the end, the trophy went to Senegal and landed with the team on a special plane to Dakar on Monday. Mané, who was named best player of the tournament, was already a national hero. His tantrum in Rabat is likely to have cemented this status.