AFCON 2025: Senegal coach Thiaw ‘apologises to football’ after ordering players off the pitch

Senegal boss Pape Thiaw admits he "shouldn't" have ordered his players to leave the pitch: “We did not agree with the decision, that is all, and I do not want to go back over what happened in this match. After reflecting, I really did not like the fact that I told my players to leave the pitch. I apologise to football. I brought them back,” Thiaw spoke to beIN Sports in the mixed zone.

“Sometimes you can react in the heat of the moment. We asked ourselves whether that penalty could have been given if our goal before that had been allowed. But now we accept the referee’s mistakes, that can happen. We should not have done it, but it is already done. We apologise.”

It all followed referee Jean-Jacques Ndala’s decision to award Morocco a penalty just moments after Ismaila Sarr from Senegal had a goal disallowed for a soft foul. Thiaw lost his composure and instructed his players to leave the pitch at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat on Sunday, before later reversing the decision.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui then criticised Thiaw during his post-match press conference, called Thiaw actions are "shameful" as his side missed out on a first AFCON title since 1976:

“The image Africa showed today is a bit shameful. When a coach tells his players to leave the pitch…” 

“As I said, in the end you always have to remain classy, in defeat as well as in victory. What Pape did tonight does not honour Africa. It was not classy, but it does not matter, he is the African champion so he has the right to say whatever he wants.”

Al-Nassr striker Sadio Mané, who wears the captain’s armband for Senegal, played a crucial role by urging the coach to reverse his decision, remaining on the pitch and calling his team-mates back.

"I think it was bad, the football should not even stop for ten minutes, but what can we do, and we just have to accept that we did it and that we returned to play the game." - The former Liverpool player spoke after a chaotic match.

After Senegal returned to the pitch, Brahim Díaz’s weak penalty was saved by Édouard Mendy before Pape Gueye struck a stunning goal in extra time to secure a 1-0 victory and the title for the Teranga Lions.