Eliman Ndiaye Criticizes Ibrahim Díaz's 'Panenka' Penalty in Africa Cup Final

In a recent interview, Eliman Ndiaye, a player for the Senegal national team, voiced his feelings of "disrespect" towards Ibrahim Díaz, the Moroccan player, following Díaz's execution of a penalty in the "Panenka" style during the Africa Cup final last month.

Ndiaye told the British newspaper "The Times" that the team felt confident after that moment, stating:

"We told each other that he would fail, and I prayed to God that he would fail... and he actually did. We showed no reaction and continued playing."

Chaos erupted at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium after a late penalty decision for Morocco, leading Senegalese players to temporarily leave the field.

However, the team quickly returned to continue the match, with Babé Gaye scoring the winning goal in the first extra time, securing the title for Senegal.

Regarding Díaz's penalty, Ndiaye added:

"I felt a sense of disrespect; I’m not saying he intended to belittle us, but perhaps he wanted to become a star after everything that happened. I don’t understand why he did it, but it worked to our advantage, and we knew we would win after that."

Ndiaye also recounted the moment of the team's withdrawal:

"We went completely crazy. It was a final, and we were minutes away from losing. We felt it was unfair, then Sadio Mané said, 'Come back and play the game.'"

When asked about the possibility of a similar reaction in the future, Ndiaye remarked:

"I cannot predict the future, but one should be treated fairly. Maybe we acted correctly, maybe not, but we wanted to ensure that things were fair after all we had done in the tournament."

The final between Morocco and Senegal also saw confrontations among players, generating significant controversy in sports circles. The African Football Confederation (CAF) rejected Morocco's request to strip Senegal of the title and imposed fines exceeding one million dollars.