Senegal Star Gana Gueye Speaks About AFCON 2025 Final Incident: “We Expected It”
- Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye has opened up on the incident during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
- Coach Pape Thiaw ordered his Senegalese players off the pitch and only returned after Sadio Mane’s intervention
- The captain on the night, Gueye, has explained how Senegal prepared for all possible outcomes before the final match
Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye has opened up on the incident that transpired during the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on January 18.
The Teranga Lions won the match in a dramatic manner after head coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players to leave the pitch to protest a referee’s decision.
Source: Getty Images
Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded a penalty to Morocco, minutes after disallowing Senegal’s goal, prompting a walkout from the West Africans.
Sadio Mane spoke to Mamadou Niang, Claude Le Roy and El Hadji Diouf before appealing to his teammates to return to the pitch and finish the match.
Brahim Diaz missed the penalty, and Pape Gueye struck the winner in the fourth minute of extra time to give Senegal its second AFCON trophy.
CAF condemned the incident and launched an investigation, which attracted heavy sanctions for both countries’ federations and some of their players.
Gueye speaks about AFCON 2025 final
FSF published a statement before the match, raising concerns about the logistics and security of their team and accusing Morocco of mistreating their team.
Idrissa Gana Gueye has admitted that Senegal prepared for the worst before the AFCON 2025 final with Morocco, the aftermath of which still lingers in Africa.
“Everything that happened before the final was completely normal. We expected it. Afterwards, people made too much of it,” he told Onze Mundial as quoted by Foot-Africa.
However, he downplayed the incident, claiming it would not ruin the good relationship between the two countries and reiterated that Senegal prepared well for the match.
“Before this final, even before the AFCON, everyone knew about the good relationship between Moroccans and Senegalese. This strong bond has lasted for years, and we shouldn’t ruin it. We’re friends, we’re brothers,” he said.
“We knew this match wouldn’t be easy; we knew it would be tense. But we were prepared for every scenario. We were unshakeable. Our focus was at 200%,” he continued.
Source: Getty Images
“Whatever happened, nothing could affect us, neither emotionally nor mentally. We even told ourselves: ‘If they put us in a trash bin, we’ll sleep in the trash bin and keep quiet.’”
Some Senegal fans are still held in detention in Morocco, after they were arrested by the Moroccan police for attempting to break into the pitch during the final.
They have been charged to court, but both countries are applying diplomatic measures to resolve the incident without escalation.
Pape Gueye sends message to Sadio Mane
Legit.ng reported that Pape Gueye sent a message to Sadio Mane after his intervention averted the incident during the AFCON 2025 final.
Gueye, who scored the winning goal, praised Mane’s leadership and explained that the team acted to protect themselves against injustice during the match.
Source: Legit.ng
