RABAT (MAROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – A final that is likely to remain in history on the wrong side. Senegal won its second Africa Cup last night by bending to the extras to Rabat Morocco owner but to take the scene was what happened in the field and out, with the penalty assigned to the 98′ to the Atlante Lions, the protest of the rivals who left the field before returning and the maldestro “cucchiaio” of Brahim Diaz parato by Edouard Mendy who sent the race. And also the contour was not edifying, with quarrels and risses on the field and on the sides.
All under the eyes of the president of the Fifa, Gianni Infantino, who if on the one hand wanted to congratulate both Senegal for the victory and with Morocco for the organization, on the other could not help to underline that he had witnessed “in unacceptable scenes in the field and on the sides”. “We firmly condemn the behavior of some “thyphists” as well as some Senegalese players and technical staff members – wrote Infantino in an Instagram post – Abandoning the playing ground in this way is unacceptable and, in the same way, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport. We must always respect the decisions made by race officers, inside and outside the field. Teams must compete on the playing ground and in compliance with the rules, otherwise they risk the very essence of football.”.
Infantino also recalled that “it is up to the teams and players to behave responsibly and give the right example to the fans present in stadiums and millions of people who follow around the world. The bad scenes seen must be condemned and must never repeat again. I repeat that they did not place in football and I expect the competent disciplinary bodies of the African Confederation to take appropriate measures.”.
I also have the comment of Walid Regragui, ct of Morocco, sorry for the defeat (“We lost the opportunity of a life”) but especially for the chaos in the field: “The image we gave of African football was quite shameful. To stop the game for more than 10 minutes with the whole world watching it was not at all elegant.”.
On the other side Sadio Manè, decisive in convincing teammates to return, admits that “it would have been really sad and unpleasant to see a final end in this way, you cannot convey such an image to the whole world. African football today is followed, it has developed in an incredible way. I’d rather lose than end up like that. This is what prompted me to tell the boys to go back to the field and play our football”.
Hero in negative of the evening the former Milanist Diaz, who had among his feet the ball that could give the African Cup to Morocco. A rigor, his, so bad that someone thought it was wrong on purpose, as if there was a tacit agreement with Senegalese players to carry out the final after the questionable decision of the referee. “It must be serious. Do you really think that one minute from the end, with a country that has been waiting for a 50-year title, you can agree? He wanted to score and I had the merit of parading it, that’s all,” Mendy made clear. Version that coincides with that of Regragui: “It’s been a long time before he could kick the penalty and this could have upset him. We stopped the game under the eyes of the world for 10 minutes. It’s not an excuse for the way he pulled, but we can’t go back. Brahim had already kicked a penalty against Mali and had scored it. Now he’s wrong. It is part of football.”.
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
