Habib Diarra could only watch from the sidelines. Helpless, unresolved, angry. The Senegal and Sunderland midfielder was observing what he still believes was a sporting injustice unfolding in front of him in the final stages of the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Two weeks on, Diarra is still grappling with the chaos and criticism Senegal’s dramatic brilliance at the African Cup of Nations has unleashed around the world.

In the final stages of regular time, the Senegal team believed that their legal goal was rejected by VAR, and the referee awarded Morocco a penalty kick after a few minutes of stoppage time. My heart is racing. Before the penalty kick started, the Senegalese players left the field in protest.

“We feel it’s an injustice,” Diarra told Sky Sports at Sunderland’s training ground, with emotions still running high.

“We scored a fair goal a few minutes ago. But the referee blew it a little early. Normally, you let it play to the end. Then, if there’s a foul, you look at VAR and decide whether it was a foul or a goal. We were angry about that.”

“This is part of football. Sometimes referees make mistakes. We are human beings and everyone makes mistakes.

“When the referee went to VAR and called the penalty, we didn’t see a foul. It was incredible.”

The images of Senegal’s players walking down the tunnel and leaving the pitch will long be remembered as manager Pape Thiaw angrily flagged his team off in protest against the referee and VAR.

To onlookers, however, this was not a sign of protest. But a kind of unity.

“I understand,” Diarra said of his manager’s behavior. “You can’t single out coaches.

“I think he does it because he sees the way we fight in games. He sees the sacrifices we make to get here. He’s like a father figure to us. He wants to protect us.

“What happened was a collective decision. You can’t single out certain players or certain people. What I saw was that we were all united. If someone makes a decision, everyone follows it.”

Despite the feeling of unity, captain Sadio Mane also tried to make progress, imploring his players to return to the pitch.

“Sadio was a true leader,” Diarra recalled. “He just had to say one thing and everyone would follow it. He was a big brother to all the young players. He was a role model for everyone.

“When we walked into the locker room, everyone was excited. But he was clear-headed. He reminded us that if God predicts something, everyone can do what they want. But God has the final say in all situations.”

As they say, the rest is history. Brahim Diaz added more drama to the closing stages of the final by saving Morocco’s Panenka penalty, while Papou Gueye’s wonder strike sealed victory for Senegal in extra time.

“This was one of the best, high-level, high-pressure finals ever,” Diarra said.

But that’s not how people remember it. Senegal’s actions drew criticism from the team. One of the most exciting and chaotic finals in history will be remembered for Senegal’s protests.

“I don’t pay much attention to that – I don’t think the Senegalese players pay attention to that either,” Diarra said of the criticism they have received.

“Critics are part of football. We get criticism on the pitch every weekend. It’s part of our job.

“The most important thing is to win the trophy,” Diarra celebrated. A few days after the race, Diarra returned to Dakar to celebrate with his family. He also found time to travel to Mulhouse, near Strasbourg, the city that helped propel his club career, to showcase his medals to those who helped him develop in Europe.

“It was unbelievable when we were in Dakar. It hit home even more then. Everyone was there to welcome us. It was crazy.

“We saw happy fans, kids, old people, young people, women. Everyone was there. It shows that Senegal is a country that loves football.”

“To be honest, four years ago when Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time, I was so happy. I have no words to describe it. This is what we are looking forward to the most.”

“We missed that game two years ago. I had a bad experience. I’m a big fan of the national team. I was with my family, my brothers. When we lost, I cried. I cried with sadness. I wanted my team to win.”

“I had a bad experience. I think the players had a bad experience. This year, we showed who we really are. This year is great revenge.”

“I’m in the same stadium as Pogba and Kante”

Diarra is now back at Sunderland, fully focused on the final months of the season. While it’s been an overachieving season at the Stadium of Light, the midfielder’s plans have yet to fully come to fruition.

He suffered an injury just weeks into his Black Cats career, which slightly affected his £30m move from Strasbourg. But now Diarra has an important role to play.

With Granit Xhaka out injured for a month, Sunderland need leadership from midfield. Diarra was named captain by Liam Rosenior as a youngster at Strasbourg last season and could well be that key player.

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“When I was young, I was used to being captain,” Diarra said. “Being young and professional has nothing to do with it. I was born that way. It just comes naturally to me.”

“I would say I’m a guy who likes to win. All the players take that to heart. I’m a guy who likes to help people.

“When I see people going through hard times, I help them. I’m there to support them.

“At Sunderland we don’t necessarily use the word captain. We use the word leader. I learn from Granit every day. I see how he does it. Sometimes I approach things differently. I use him as an example.”

Xhaka is not the only role model Diarra looks up to in the Premier League. Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante are his two main idols at the moment.

Just look at Diarra’s career. He is only 22 but has already become African champion, captain of Strasbourg and moved to the Premier League. What’s next?

“Of course, at 22 years old, it’s great to have all this,” Diarra said. “But that’s just the beginning. I’m a hungry guy. I always want to improve.

“I want to be one of the best midfielders in the world. I use Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante as examples. I’m always inspired by players like them. They’re on the same pitch as me.

“In the next few years I want to make a name for myself in the Premier League. I want to be part of a top team. I want to win the Champions League. That’s everyone’s goal. I also want to win the World Cup. That’s the dream.”

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