Senegal's coach Pape Thiaw has fired back at criticism for walking off the field in injury time during their African Cup of Nations final against Morocco, defending the emotional decision as a necessary measure to protect his players from what he perceived as injustice.
The Senegalese team exited the field in stoppage time when Morocco was awarded a penalty, just moments after a potential winning goal by Sadio Mane's teammate was ruled out. The decision sparked widespread condemnation, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino slamming it as "unacceptable" and the Moroccan Football Federation pursuing legal action against Senegal.
Thiaw claimed that his team's walk-off was not an attempt to flout the rules, but rather a reaction to the perceived bias of the situation, particularly after several instances of alleged unfair treatment by Morocco throughout the tournament. He defended his players' decision to take the field again, which ultimately resulted in a 1-0 victory for Senegal.
"We experienced an exceptional tournament with magnificent organisation, which ended unfortunately in a dramatic fashion," Thiaw said. "I simply tried to protect my players from injustice. What some may perceive as a violation of the rules is nothing more than an emotional reaction to the bias of the situation."
The walk-off led to a 15-minute stoppage in play and further clashes between rival players and stewards on the sidelines. Thiaw admitted that he had "offended" anyone who might have been upset by his team's actions, but argued that football lovers would understand the emotional nature of the sport.
Thiaw also acknowledged that Senegal had initially walked off for Sadio Mane to persuade his teammates to return to the field, allowing Brahim Diaz to take the penalty which was eventually saved. The match then went into extra time and ended with a 1-0 victory for Senegal.
The Senegalese team exited the field in stoppage time when Morocco was awarded a penalty, just moments after a potential winning goal by Sadio Mane's teammate was ruled out. The decision sparked widespread condemnation, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino slamming it as "unacceptable" and the Moroccan Football Federation pursuing legal action against Senegal.
Thiaw claimed that his team's walk-off was not an attempt to flout the rules, but rather a reaction to the perceived bias of the situation, particularly after several instances of alleged unfair treatment by Morocco throughout the tournament. He defended his players' decision to take the field again, which ultimately resulted in a 1-0 victory for Senegal.
"We experienced an exceptional tournament with magnificent organisation, which ended unfortunately in a dramatic fashion," Thiaw said. "I simply tried to protect my players from injustice. What some may perceive as a violation of the rules is nothing more than an emotional reaction to the bias of the situation."
The walk-off led to a 15-minute stoppage in play and further clashes between rival players and stewards on the sidelines. Thiaw admitted that he had "offended" anyone who might have been upset by his team's actions, but argued that football lovers would understand the emotional nature of the sport.
Thiaw also acknowledged that Senegal had initially walked off for Sadio Mane to persuade his teammates to return to the field, allowing Brahim Diaz to take the penalty which was eventually saved. The match then went into extra time and ended with a 1-0 victory for Senegal.
... Thiaw's decision to walk off in injury time was a bold move, but some people think it was reckless 
. I mean, who doesn't love the drama of extra time and sudden victories? 
But seriously, the whole situation reeks of controversy - did Morocco really get away with that shady penalty call? 
️ It's like they say: in football, the refs are often just as much a part of the game as the players 
. And let's be real, Thiaw's team was feeling some type of way after all those alleged unfair treatments throughout the tournament 
. Do you think Senegal got played or did they stand up for themselves?
... I get what Thiaw is saying about feeling like his team got treated unfairly, but at the same time its like they just up and walked off? 
I mean i can see why he wanted to protect his players from injustice, but didnt he think it would kinda draw more attention to it? 
Still, i guess its better than a riot breaking out or something 
they didnt deserve to get treated like that on the field 
i no how it feels 2 b in a situation where u feel u r being discriminated against & its hard 2 just walk away 
it wasnt about refusing 2 follow rules, its bout gettin justice 4 them 
can u blame him? 
. Thiaw was trying to protect them from what he saw as unfairness, and I think a lot of people can relate to that. It might have been a bit dramatic, but at the end of the day, Senegal won, and that's all that matters 
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He stood up for what he believed in & protected his players from what seemed like super unfair treatment 
. I mean, can u imagine how emotional it must've been to see all that drama go down? 
It's not about flouting the rules or being reckless, it's about standing up for what's right! 
. Thiaw might've "offended" some people but honestly, he was just passionate about his players' well-being 
. Give that man a trophy 
! Pape Thiaw is literally the coolest coach ever 
! Who else would stand up for their team like that?! 
. The walk-off was like, a big middle finger to the refs and everything 
! And honestly, I think it paid off... 1-0 win is still an amazing result 
! Thiaw's got the heart of a lion 
and I'm so proud of him for doin' what he thought was right 
. Bring on the drama and controversy - that's what makes football so exciting! 
! I mean, who wouldn't want to stand up for their players when they feel like they're being treated unfairly? It's all about protecting the well-being of your team and giving them the best chance to succeed.
. It's about time someone spoke up about this kind of thing! Of course, there were some harsh reactions from FIFA and other parties, but I think Thiaw did the right thing 
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. It's not always easy to deal with the drama and bias in sports, but it's all part of the game 
.
i wonder if they'll have any discounts for early customers... btw, have u seen that new anime series on Netflix? 
... and what's with FIFA and Morocco wanting to take legal action? can't we just chill about it and move on? 
... either way, it's all good now that Senegal won 
. Guess it's all just part of the game now... not everyone gonna agree on every call