Senegal's Eliman Ndiaye Criticizes Morocco's Ibrahim Diaz Over 'Panenka' Penalty in Africa Cup Final
In a recent interview, Eliman Ndiaye, a member of the Senegal national football team, voiced his concerns about what he perceived as "disrespect" from Ibrahim Diaz of Morocco, following Diaz's execution of a "Panenka" style penalty during the Africa Cup of Nations final last month.
Ndiaye shared his thoughts with the British newspaper "The Times," stating that the Senegal team felt confident after witnessing the penalty attempt, remarking:
"We were telling each other that he would miss, and I was praying to God that he would miss... and then he actually did. We didn't react at all, and we continued to play."
The match, held at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, descended into chaos when a late penalty was awarded to Morocco, prompting Senegal's players to temporarily leave the field.
However, they quickly returned to finish the match, with Bamba Dieng scoring the decisive goal in extra time, securing the title for Senegal.
On Diaz's penalty, Ndiaye commented:
"I felt a kind of disrespect; I’m not saying he wanted to belittle us, but maybe he wanted to become a star after everything that happened. I don’t understand why he did it, but it worked in our favor, and we knew after that that we would win."
Ndiaye also recounted the moment of withdrawal, stating:
"We went crazy; we were completely distracted. It’s a final, and we were minutes away from losing. We felt it was unfair, and then Sadio Mane said: 'Come back and play the match.'"
When asked about the possibility of a similar reaction in future matches, Ndiaye replied:
"I can’t predict the future, but one should be treated fairly. Maybe we acted correctly, and maybe not, but we wanted to ensure that things were fair after everything we did in the tournament."
The final between Morocco and Senegal was marked by player altercations and sparked significant controversy in the sporting community. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) subsequently rejected Morocco's appeal to revoke Senegal's title, imposing fines exceeding one million dollars.
