We are only human, we realised our mistake and came back out – Senegal goal hero comments on AFCON final walk-off

Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye has spoken about his team’s brief walk-off during the Africa Cup of Nations final and Morocco’s missed late penalty, describing the incident as a human error that was quickly corrected.

Gueye made the comments in an interview on French television on Sunday, January 25, days after Senegal defeated Morocco 1–0 after extra time in a tense and controversial final played in Rabat.

The 26-year-old scored the winning goal as Senegal edged past the hosts following a dramatic sequence late in regulation time. Morocco had been awarded a penalty in the closing moments, a decision that prompted Senegal’s players to walk off the pitch in protest, causing a delay of about 20 minutes.

Reflecting on the incident, Gueye said the players recognised their mistake and returned to the field. “We are only human, we realised our mistake and came back out,” he said. “Anyone can make a mistake.”

When play resumed, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz failed to convert the penalty, before Gueye struck the decisive goal in extra time to seal Senegal’s victory.

Gueye praised Senegal captain and former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane for helping to defuse the situation. Mane remained on the pitch during the standoff and appealed to his teammates to return so the match could continue.

“He found the right thing to say at the right moment, and it shows just how important he is to us,” Gueye said. “We owe him a big thank you.”

Senegal’s frustration had been heightened moments earlier when they had a goal disallowed for what was widely viewed as a soft foul, further fuelling tensions on the pitch.

Gueye also expressed surprise at Diaz’s decision to attempt a Panenka-style penalty in such a high-stakes moment, which ultimately failed. “It was daring, and I would not have risked that myself,” he said.

In the aftermath of the final, the Moroccan Football Federation formally referred both the walk-off by Senegal and the behaviour of some supporters to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), organisers of the tournament, as well as FIFA, for review.