Senegal’s 1-0 win over Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final is now overshadowed by serious allegations from defender Ismail Jakobs, who has raised doubts about the sudden illness of three teammates before and during the match.
The Galatasaray player said Krépin Diatta, Ousseynou Niang and Pape Matar Sarr “collapsed” in unexplained fashion, suffering brutal malaise that he believes cannot be dismissed as simple food poisoning.
Jakobs described distressing scenes in which the players were unable to hold up their heads or even speak, and revealed that all three had to be rushed to hospital. He insisted he does not want to directly accuse anyone, but added that what happened “definitely was not a coincidence”, words that have fuelled a wave of speculation and anger on social networks.
The chaotic medical situation unfolded in a match already played under extreme tension. At one point, Senegal coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players off the pitch for around twenty minutes in protest at refereeing decisions, before Sadio Mane intervened to calm his teammates and secure the resumption of play, paving the way for Senegal’s victory.
So far, no governing body has confirmed any poisoning, and in the absence of official medical reports, the final’s triumph has given way to a lingering controversy that now reaches far beyond sport.
