El Hadji Diouf’s ‘bonkers’ role in Senegal vs Morocco peace talks revealed after huge AFCON controversy
Ex-Liverpool and Rangers star El Hadji Diouf played his part in helping get Senegal players back onto the pitch after some huge controversy in their AFCON final triumph over Morocco.
Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final lived up to its billing as one of the most exciting and unpredictable games in the footballing calendar.
Tournament hosts Morocco battled Senegal to be crowned champions of their continent, and the match was unsurprisingly without controversy as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes.
Referee Jean-Jacques Ngambo Ndala blew his whistle for a foul before Ismaila Sarr scored for Senegal late on, then controversially gave a penalty to Morocco in injury time after a lengthy VAR check.
Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in frustration after the decision, before Brahim Diaz missed his spot kick and they went on to win in extra-time, with Diouf surprisingly getting involved for the right reasons.
Diouf was trying to calm Senegal stars down after their walk off
Senegal boss Pape Thiaw instructed his side to leave the field after Morocco were awarded a penalty in the dying embers, and many stayed in the dressing room for five minutes before former Liverpool star and team captain Sadio Mane urged them to return to the pitch.
Diaz’s panenka was then easily caught by Edouard Mendy as Pape Gueye lashed home in extra time to send the trophy back to West Africa.
Journalist Jonathan Wilson explained what he saw going on while Senegal’s players revolted, with notorious hothead Diouf surprisingly in the mix to calm things down
He said: “El Hadji Diouf, not El Hadji Malick Diouf the West Ham player, (but) the former Bolton, Liverpool, Sunderland and (Rangers) player, he was in the middle of it, calming things down.
“If El Hadji Diouf is your peacemaker, how bonkers is the situation?”
Which Premier League players were involved in the AFCON final?
Diouf’s namesake, West Ham full-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, was the man at fault for giving away the late penalty, but his blushes were spared after Diaz’s poor penalty.
Five other Premier League players were on the winning side in Rabat, with Everton‘s Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye, Crystal Palace‘s Sarr, Tottenham’s Pape Sarr and Sunderland‘s Habib Diarra all also involved.
Sunderland were the Premier League team who were most affected by the tournament, and their playmaker Chemsdine Talbi suffered defeat as an unused substitute for Morocco.
Man United full-back Noussair Mazraoui was the other top-flight representative in the final, with all eight players now set to return to their respective clubs in time to feature next weekend.