RABAT, Morocco – In the history of African football, few moments will be remembered as vividly as the chaotic, emotionally charged minutes of the AFCON final between Senegal and Morocco that nearly ended in a walk-off.
Although the record books will credit Senegal as champions, the true story is about how Sadio Mané shifted from star player to mediator, helping protect the continent’s biggest event from a damaging controversy.
The match, hosted at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat, reached a boiling point when a controversial refereeing decision late in the game threatened to derail proceedings. Senegal had a goal disallowed, and moments later, referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty. The Lions of Teranga were left incensed by a foul call that many believed was a grave injustice.
“It was really strange that the referee decided it was a foul,” Koulibaly reflected during the post-match celebrations. “After the VAR decision, we had a big decision to make, and we wanted to stop the game.”
As Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest, a dark cloud hung over the tournament’s integrity. It was at this precipice that Al Nassr star, Mané, stepped in. Mane sought a second opinion that changed the course of the night.
Legendary coach Claude Le Roy, watching from the sidelines, revealed a brief but important exchange with the forward.
SADIO MANÉ SOUGHT ADVICE
According to Le Roy, the ex-Liverpool FC star, Mane asked him point-blank: “What would you do if you were in my place?” The veteran coach’s advice was simple: “I would have resumed the game, you never know.”
Mane took the advice to heart and convinced his teammates to return to the pitch. Despite his own frustrations, he later admitted the ten-minute delay was “really, really bad” for the African game, and he became the calming force. “We just have to forget these things and play the game,” Mane told journalists.
Atlas Lions forward Brahim Diaz’s soft penalty shot went straight at goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, making it an easy save.
Villareal midfield dynamo Pape Gueye, scorer of the solitary goal that won Senegal the game, noted that Mane “calmed us down when we needed it most,” while young star Lamine Camara described Mane’s influence on the day as “just incredible.”
The respect for Mane was so profound that, during the trophy presentation, coach Pape Thiaw made a symbolic gesture, handing the captain’s armband to Mane so he could hoist the silver into the night sky.
“We spoke about many things among ourselves, and I preferred to give him the armband so he could lift the trophy high,” Thiaw explained.
The celebrations in Dakar will be brief as the African champions shift their attention to the FIFA World Cup in June. Senegal are alongside France and Norway in their group.
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