Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw has admitted he made a mistake during the tense closing moments of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final after ordering his players off the pitch in protest against a late, VAR-confirmed penalty awarded to Morocco.
The decision sparked a lengthy delay and briefly overshadowed what would become Senegal’s historic 1–0 extra-time victory over the host nation.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Thiaw first praised his squad for their resilience throughout the tournament.
“We must congratulate the players, because winning the title was the goal we wanted to reach, especially this year,” he said.
“We prepared well to chase this trophy. We faced difficult matches, especially the final. We really suffered but showed our character.”
However, the coach admitted his actions during the final minutes were driven by emotion and regretted his decision to lead the team off the field.
“After thinking it over, I apologise for asking the players to leave the pitch.”
He acknowledged that the penalty call, following a challenge on Morocco’s Brahim Diaz, and an earlier disallowed goal for Senegal, had frustrated the team.
“Sometimes you react too strongly. We questioned whether the penalty was correct, and before that, we had a goal ruled out. Even though I still disagree with the decision, we must accept the referee’s mistakes.”
Thiaw also expressed regret for the threat to abandon the match entirely, describing the reaction as wrong and unnecessary.
“Sometimes you can react too strongly. We questioned whether the penalty was really correct, and before that, we had scored a goal that was not counted.” The coach added that he still disagreed with the call, “But now we accept the referee’s mistakes.”
Morocco failed to convert the penalty, and Senegal seized the opportunity in extra time when Pape Gueye struck the decisive goal to secure the AFCON title.
Meanwhile, CAF has confirmed that it has opened disciplinary proceedings into the events that unfolded during the final.
