AFCON Final Aftermath: Controversies and Chaos
There are few more exciting things than playing a continental soccer final at home. That was the scenario for Morocco, after qualifying for the AFCON Final set to take place today against Senegal. It was a tight match; neither team scored any goals during the set playtime, and the game was ultimately decided in the 94th minute, with Pape Gueye making a marvelous move that sealed the outcome of the match. Losing the Continental Cup in front of a home crowd is already hard in itself for the players, but in this case, the fans of the winning team seemed even more outraged for their national team. The AFCON final was a memorable one, but for the wrong reasons.
Just today, Morocco was set to play against Senegal in Rabat, the capital of the host country of the event. The game was particularly spectacular because it featured the home team at their home stadium, in front of a home crowd. However, this setting proved to be a challenge for the rival team, who got a penalty shot call against them after frustrated attempts to score. Senegal deemed the VAR’s decision as unfair, and so, they quickly took action in a completely unexpected way. Amidst the crowd of fans cheering for each team, the Lions of Teranga walked away from the court back to the dressing room in protest. They were followed by raging fans, who made their way to the playing field and destroyed a few publicity boards. The whole ordeal lasted about ten minutes, and the penalty finally took place 17 minutes after it was ruled. Ironically, Brahim Diaz missed the opportunity that almost slipped out of his hands.
Drama is always expected in situations like this one, but it is fair to say that the situation went overboard today. It is important to remember that the referees and VAR members belong to multiple nationalities, which would probably indicate that this is not a case of bias towards Morocco. All Senegal players but one left the field mid-game and then came back, in an awkward, disruptive manner. All that being said, the cup was righteously won by Senegal, in an AFCON final that will probably one day appear in books as one very controversial match.
