Senegal 1-0 Morocco (AET): Pape Gueye clinches second AFCON title after extraordinary protest | OneFootball

Lions of Teranga claim second AFCON title after winning controversial final in Rabat

Senegal have clinched their second Africa Cup of Nations title after beating Morocco in an extraordinary final on Sunday.

Senegal players, incensed by the decision after moments earlier seeing a goal disallowed when Abdoulaye Seck penalised for a foul on Achraf Hakimi, were sensationally ordered off the pitch by head coach Pape Thiaw.

After around 20 minutes of frustration and confusion, the Senegal players eventually returned to pitch to face the penalty.

With the chance to score his sixth goal of the competition and seal Morocco’s first AFCON title in nearly 50 years, Diaz’s failed with an audacious panenka penalty attempt as Edouard Mendy simply caught the ball.

That moment was the final action of regulation time, sending the AFCON final into extra-time where Gueye’s sensational effort into the top corner to crown Senegal champions of Africa.

Pape Thiaw ordered his Senegal players off following the penalty decision

AFP via Getty Images

Already without the suspended Kalidou Koulibaly, Senegal were dealt a further defensive blow in the warm-up with Krepin Diatta suffering an injury and his place in the side went to Antoine Mendy.

Despite the setback, the 2021 winners had the better chances of an intriguing - yet ultimately goalless - first half.

Inside the opening five minutes, a Senegal corner found Pape Gueye at the back post but his header was superbly kept out by Yassine Bounou, making amends for misjudging the flight of the cross.

The Morocco goalkeeper then made an even better save towards the end of the half, spreading himself big and wide to flick away Iliman Ndiaye’s effort from close range with his right boot.

Ismael Saibari and Abde Ezzalzouli carried the threat for Morocco in the first-half. The former went close on a couple of occasions, while the latter's delicious cross just evaded the head of Nayef Aguerd.

Perhaps fired up by head coach Walid Regragui during the interval, Morocco started the second half the much better of the two sides and should have broken the deadlock through Ayoub El Kaabi but he failed to hit the target from close range after being picked out by Bilal El Khannouss.

A nasty clash of heads involving Neil El Aynaoui and El Hadji Malick Diouf, which left the former bloodied, saw the game paused for around eight minutes and this resulted in a lengthy amount of stoppage time in which brought about the dramatic scenes.

In extra-time, Aguerd was denied by the crossbar while Bounou denied Cherif Ndiaye a second with a stunning double save. However, Gueye's contribution ultimately proved decisive.