HIBAPRESS – Sports
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, condemned what he described as "unacceptable scenes" witnessed at the Africa Cup of Nations final, which took place on Sunday in Rabat, criticizing the behavior of some Senegalese national team players and members of the technical staff after they withdrew from the field for minutes during the match.
The Senegalese team won the title at the expense of Morocco after a match characterized by chaos and tension, which ended after extra time with a score of (1-0). The penalty kick that was awarded to Morocco in the last seconds of stoppage time in the original half had prompted some members of the Senegalese team to leave the field in protest, before returning later to complete the match. The events were not limited to the field, as the stands also witnessed a state of chaos, after a number of Senegalese fans tried to storm the field for about 15 minutes, even at the moment when Brahim Diaz was preparing to take the penalty kick, which he later missed. Security elements and organizers faced great difficulties in containing the situation amid mass clashes. In an official statement, Infantino said: "We strongly condemn the behavior of some Senegalese national team players and members of the technical staff. Leaving the field in this way is completely unacceptable." The FIFA president added that "violence in football cannot be tolerated under any circumstances, it is completely rejected. The decisions of the referees must be respected inside and outside the field, and the teams must adhere to the rules of the game, because any violating behavior threatens the essence of football." Infantino concluded by saying: "The unfortunate scenes we witnessed today must be condemned, and should not be repeated in the future," calling on the competent disciplinary bodies in the African Football Confederation to take "appropriate measures".
