The Africa Cup final was marked by chaos. In the final minute of stoppage time, following a corner kick in Morocco’s favor, El Hadji Malick Diouf grabbed Brahim Díaz by the shoulder, causing him to fall to the ground. Referee Ndala Ngambo called a defensive foul and awarded a penalty to the home team, triggering a strong protest from Senegal. The situation quickly escalated: the ‘Lions of Teranga’ coach, Pape Thiaw, argued with the referee, his Moroccan counterpart Walid Regragui, and some of his players, before leading the team off the field in protest of what he considered an injustice. The extraordinary scene quickly made headlines around the world.

Almost ten minutes later, Senegal returned to the field, led by Sadio Mané, who had stayed on the pitch until the very last moment trying to convince his teammates to continue the match despite their outrage. In fact, the former Liverpool player and current Al-Nassr star remained on the field while his teammates had already left, risking the match being declared abandoned. Had that happened, Morocco would have won 3-0 by default, claiming the continental title for the first time since 1976. What followed was just as chaotic: Brahim took the penalty against Mendy, and in extra time, a stunning goal by Pape Gueye completely changed the outcome of the match.

However, there is a regulatory basis to argue that the match could have been ended before Brahim took the penalty due to Senegal’s threat to abandon the game. Article 82 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations states that if a team refuses to play or leaves the field before the end of regulation time without the referee’s authorization, it will be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition.

Article 84 complements this provision, stating that any team that violates Articles 82 or 83 will be permanently eliminated and will lose the match 3-0, unless the opponent already had a more favorable result at the time of the interruption, in which case that score will stand. Additionally, the Organizing Committee may take further measures as it deems necessary.

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