Sadio Mane justifies his refusal to leave the pitch with his teammates after the controversial penalty awarded to Morocco

The Africa Cup of Nations final played on Sunday, 18 January 2026, was a disappointing spectacle at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium. From Senegal's disallowed goal to the controversial penalty awarded to Morocco, the match was interrupted.

The Senegalese players protested strongly against the referee's decision and left the pitch at the request of their coach Pape Thiaw. But Sadio Mane remained on the pitch and eventually persuaded his teammates to return. He justified his decision after the match, which ended with Senegal's victory in Rabat.

"The referee can make mistakes just like us, it's not our place to judge him. Above all, I did it for people around the world: they wanted to watch the match.

I was the one who convinced the team to return to the pitch. The players and the coach had decided to withdraw, and I didn't understand that decision, but in the end, I told everyone to come back immediately and play no matter what."