Sadio Mane saves African football

WHEN Senegal players walked out of the pitch in the AFCON final against Morocco in Rabat Sunday night, there was one man who did not only save the day, but the African game.

Sadio Mane!

Senegal threatened a walk-off (angered that their goal was disallowed, with the penalty awarded shortly thereafter), with a lengthy wait for the penalty to be taken, featuring repeated arguments between players, officials and technical teams members.

An abandoned final could have damaged the game in the continent and armed those outside that have always been fighting the progress.

Forget the match officiating!

History will remember Mane showed leadership and dignity by convincing his teammates to resume the match and they ended up winning the final 1-0 against odds.

Diaz himself took the spot-kick and attempted a Panenka penalty, but Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy stayed still in the middle of the goal and made an easy save — a truly astonishing and surreal finish to regulation time (which had run 25 minutes over by the time the full-time whistle was blown!).

Morocco appeared to have been mentally devastated by the penalty miss, and Senegal claimed the lead four minutes into the extra 30, with midfielder Pape Gueye crashing home a thunderous left-footed drive via the underside of the crossbar.

Mane said: “Football is something special, the world was watching, the world loves football and I think football is a pleasure so we have to give a good image for football.

“I think it would be crazy to not play this game because what, the referee gave a penalty and we go out of the game? I think that would be the worst thing especially in African football. I’d rather lose than this kind of thing happen to our football.

“I think it’s really bad. Football should not stop for even ten minutes but what can we do? We have to accept that we did but the good thing is that we came back and we played the game and what happened happened.”

Former Nigeria forward Daniel Amokachi told BBC World Service: “Mane went the extra mile to get his team back and it has paid off.

“What an ambassador for football he is. We know the kind of person he is off the pitch and he knows what football is all about.”

Former Morocco international Hassan Kachloul said “Africa football and world football were losing” until Mane intervened.

“What I like more than anything, the only player from the Senegalese team was Sadio Mane,” he told E4.

Former Chelsea keeper Mendy, who now plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro  League, insisted he was “proud” of the way Senegal — instructed by Mane — returned to the field to win their second AFCON title this decade.

“What did we say to each other? That’s between us,” said Mendy.

“We did it together and we came back together, that’s all that matters. We can be proud.”

Match-winner Gueye added: “We had a feeling of injustice. Just before the penalty we thought we should have had a goal and the referee didn’t go to VAR.

“Sadio (Mane) told us to come back on and we remobilised. Edouard (Mendy) then made the save, we stayed focused, got the goal and won the game.”

Former Nigeria forward Efan Ekoku criticised Thiaw and his players, insisting their temporary refusal to play was “not a good look for African football”.

“It (the penalty award) was soft,” Ekoku told E4. “It was foolish and reckless by El Hadji Malick Diouf, but the decision had been made and the players have to abide by that.

“You cannot do that (leave the pitch). However aggrieved you feel at it you have got to let the referee and the rules (make the decision) . . . I have got some sympathy, but this is not a good look.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s 2013 winner John Obi Mikel said he could “understand the frustration” but walking off is “not what I want to see” — AFP Sport/ BBC Sport/ Zimapers Sports Hub.