The match was on the verge of being cancelled as angry Senegalese fans tried to storm the pitch after the referee's decision to award a controversial penalty to the home side, Morocco, in stoppage time of the second half, just minutes after a goal that looked perfectly legitimate for Senegal had been disallowed.
Security personnel clashed with fans on the pitch, and some Senegalese players reacted angrily to comments made by Morocco's substitutes, leading to a brawl between the two teams on the touchline.
Clashes broke out between Senegalese fans and stadium security, and a pitch invasion occurred during the penalty shootout controversy. pic.twitter.com/juLziL9zL2
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw led his players off the pitch, hinting at the possibility of cancelling the match before the penalty kick was taken, while clashes continued on the other side as a long line of police joined security personnel to hold back Senegal fans.
The French newspaper L'Equipe revealed details of the critical moments that preceded the Senegalese national team's return to the field, where the veteran French coach, Claude Le Roy, played the role of "godfather" of the comeback.
Clashes broke out between Senegalese fans and stadium security, and a pitch invasion occurred during the penalty shootout controversy. pic.twitter.com/juLziL9zL2
Leroy, who was at the stadium to analyze the match, took advantage of his proximity to the touchline to give crucial advice to captain Sadio Mane, stressing to him that completing the match was the only option to preserve the team's pride and avoid historic penalties.
It appears that Sadio Mane heeded the advice of the French coach, as he urged his teammates to return to take Morocco's penalty kick and resume play after a 14-minute delay.
Senegal player Lamine Camara said, "We were in the dressing room, and he (Sadio Mane) was the only one who came in shouting at us to come out and end the match. In the end, he was right, we came out and listened to him because if Sadio Mane speaks, everyone listens, and in the end, things went well for us."
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved Ibrahim Diaz's weak penalty attempt, which was the last play in regular time, and then the match went into extra time, where Pape Gueye scored the winning goal in the fourth minute of the first extra period with a powerful shot that settled into the top right corner of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou's goal.
Pape Gueye said, "What we felt was a kind of injustice. Before that, we thought we deserved a goal and the referee didn't go to VAR. Sadio Mane told us to come back and we reorganized, then Edouard Mendy made the save, we stayed focused, scored the goal and won the game
