Sadio Mane was widely praised for stepping in to calm an extraordinary flashpoint in the Africa Cup of Nations final, persuading Senegal’s players to return to the pitch after a dramatic walk-off threatened to derail the showpiece occasion.
The incident unfolded deep into stoppage time of a tense, goalless final when Morocco were awarded a controversial penalty following a VAR review by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala.
Brahim Diaz had gone to ground under a challenge from El Hadji Malick Diouf, prompting furious protests from the Senegal bench and players.
The decision came moments after Senegal had a late goal ruled out, with Ismaila Sarr penalised for what appeared to be a soft foul on Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi.
The double setback sparked anger among the Teranga Lions, with head coach Pape Thiaw leading his team off the pitch in protest.
While the Senegal players headed towards the tunnel, Mane remained on the field. The forward, Senegal’s record goalscorer, had earlier suggested the tournament could be his final Africa Cup of Nations appearance.
After a brief discussion with former Senegal international El Hadji Diouf, Mane followed his team into the dressing room.
His intervention proved decisive. After appealing to his team-mates, Senegal returned to the pitch following a delay of around 15 minutes, allowing the match to resume.
Moments later, Morocco were handed the opportunity to win the final, but Diaz’s attempted Panenka penalty was comfortably saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
The miss forced the match into extra time, where Senegal eventually prevailed to claim the title.
Mane went on to lift the trophy in Rabat, taking the captain’s armband from Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gueye as Senegal secured their second Africa Cup of Nations crown, further cementing his legacy as one of the continent’s greatest players.
Speaking after the final, Mane explained that his actions were driven by concern for the image of the game, with Senegal facing the possibility of sanctions over the protest.
“Football is something special, the world was watching, the world loves football and I think football is a pleasure so we have to give a good image for football,” Mane said.
He added: “I think it would be crazy to not play this game because what, the referee gave a penalty and we go out of the game? I think that would be the worst thing especially in African football. I’d rather lose than this kind of thing happen to our football.
“I think it’s really bad. Football should not stop for even ten minutes but what can we do? We have to accept that we did but the good thing is that we came back and we played the game and what happened happened.”
Coach Pape Thiaw later admitted his decision to lead the walk-off was a mistake, saying he had acted in the “heat of the moment”.
Former Morocco international Hassan Kachloul also highlighted Mane’s role in restoring calm.
“What I like more than anything, the only player from the Senegalese team was Sadio Mane. That shows the great man he is.
He went back to the dressing room and brought those players back. Mane was the man to bring them back on,” he told E4.
