Reason Why Sadio Mané Called Senegal Back To Pitch After VAR Penalty Drama At AFCON 2025 Final
Sadio Mané said he decided to convince his teammates to return to the pitch during the controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final against Morocco on Sunday night because “it is the best thing to do”.
Senegal went on to claim a 1-0 win after 120 minutes, winning their second AFCON title in a match that will be remembered as much for its drama as its decisive moment.
The Genius Media Nigeria reports that Pape Gueye scored the only goal of the final in the first half of extra time, a strike that eventually separated both sides after a gruelling battle. Before then, the closing stages of the game descended into chaos when the referee awarded the Atlas Lions a late penalty following a foul on Brahim Díaz.
The decision sparked anger among the Senegalese players, with the entire team briefly walking off the pitch in protest. As tensions rose inside the stadium, cameras caught Mané urging his teammates to return and see out the match.
Speaking after the final whistle, the Senegal forward said: “When they [my teammates] decided to go out and not play, I stayed and asked some people ‘, What do you think about this, is it a good idea or not?’
“Then, I decided to go and bring everyone back to the pitch. I think it is the best thing to do. Because this is just football, I think the referee sometimes can make mistakes, but you can also be, we don’t know, we are just in the game.
“People in the world can judge this, I don’t know, I think it could be a penalty or not. That is not important; what is more important is about the world watching this football, and it is not fair to stop a game like this.”
Mané’s intervention ultimately ensured the match was completed without further disruption, allowing Senegal to hold on for victory and lift the AFCON trophy in front of a global audience.
