Did Morocco star Brahim Diaz miss a penalty on purpose? Senegal’s spot-kick hero Edouard Mendy has his say…

Diaz’s fluffed panenka for Morocco raised suspicions that he may have missed it deliberately.

Senegal Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has dismissed suggestions that Brahim Diaz deliberately missed an injury-time penalty that would have been awarded. Morocco Africa Cup of Nations title.

The decision by referee Jean-Jacques Ndala to award a 98th-minute spot-kick to tournament hosts Morocco, shortly after a Senegal goal was disallowed for Abdoulaye Sek’s seemingly innocuous challenge on Achraf Hakimi, angered the Lions of Teranga to such an extent that they left the field in protest.

After a 17-minute hold-up, Senegal finally came back for a dejected-looking Diaz to chip a Panenka penalty into the hands of Mendy. Senegal won the title in extra time thanks to Pepe Gueye’s stunning strike.

No celebration from Senegal after missing a penalty

The lack of celebration by the Senegalese players raised suspicions that Real Madrid forward Diaz was deliberately missed after discussions between the two camps. Confederation of African Football During the delay.

But Mandy said that’s not the case.

He told BIN Sport: “Do you really believe there’s a minute left, when a country has been waiting for this for 50 years… Do you think we’re going to agree on something? He wanted to score, I get credit for stopping him, that’s it. Let’s end this.

“Diaz tried to score, and I just did my job. I stayed calm facing Panenka and managed to save him. It’s time to stop this debate.”

The talk before the final was that the cards were loaded to help Morocco claim the trophy on home soil – a narrative Senegal were eager to play – but Mendy says his team can now reflect on a job well done.

“Some things happened on the pitch, but in football, the most important thing is to win,” he added. “We gave it our all, no cheating. Senegal are African champions, and we are very happy about that.”