@dailymailsport: Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw directed his players off the pitch and back onto the bench in apparent protest over a late penalty awarded to Morocco in the dying minutes of the AFCON final. Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz went down tussling for the ball in the box, with the referee Jean-Jacques Ndala and VAR taking their time over the decision to award the spot kick. After consulting the monitor, Morocco - the host nation - were awarded the penalty, but the decision over whether it was deserved boiled over into a row between players and coaches - with Thiaw then calling his players off the pitch. Former Liverpool icon Sadio Mane appealed to his team-mates as they made their way down the tunnel, with some wavering over whether they should leave or not. Mane eventually departed by the tunnel, and was seen sprinting towards the dressing room. After a few minutes earlier, Senegal had what they believed to be a late winner from Ismaila Sarr chalked off for a foul in the build-up, further adding to the feeling of bad luck amongst the side when Diaz was downed by El Hadji Malick Diouf. During the melee, a handful of Senegal fans even made their way onto the pitch, breaking through the advertising boards before they were rounded up by security. Senegal were later convinced back onto the pitch, with the penalty kick eventually taken by Diaz in the 113th minute - 17 minutes after he was fouled. The 26-year-old stepped up to the spot but missed with an underpowered effort that flew straight into Edouard Mendy's gloves. #senegal #morocco #afcon #football #long

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Sunday 18 January 2026 21:29:45 GMT