Bacary Cissé, a senior official of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) and president of its Communication Commission, has revealed that several Senegal players fell ill just hours before the country’s dramatic Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final victory over Morocco.
Senegal were crowned African champions for the second time in their history after edging tournament hosts Morocco 1–0 after extra time in Rabat on 18 January. However, the historic triumph has since been overshadowed by disturbing revelations off the pitch.
The decisive moment arrived three minutes into extra time when Pape Gueye unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from the edge of the area.
The match had gone beyond regulation time after Morocco failed to capitalise on a late penalty, with Edouard Mendy saving Brahim Diaz’s attempted panenka.
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Speaking days after the final, Cissé described what he called alarming scenes in the Senegal camp before kick-off.
“I called Sadio Mané, and he explained to me that Krepin Diatta had felt unwell and had been taken to the hospital. It was only later that we learned he had been replaced in the starting eleven,” Cissé told TFM.
Cissé, who was present at the stadium, said the situation worsened during the warm-up.
“During the players’ warm-up, three minutes later, I saw Ousseynou Niang collapse.
“Mayacine told me he had the same symptoms as Krepin Diatta. Diatta was sitting in a wheelchair, seemingly losing control of his tongue; it was truly disastrous.
“He was then taken to the hospital. Pape Matar Sarr, who had warmed up before half-time, also collapsed in the locker room at the break. He had the same symptoms as Krepin and Ousseynou.
“It was complicated for Krepin, and for Pape Matar and Ousseynou, it seemed even more serious. It was really very strange.”
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Cissé also addressed the heated scenes that followed Morocco’s late penalty award, suggesting controversial refereeing decisions heightened tensions during the final.
“It all started with a play and a poor refereeing decision, but that’s normal because it’s part of the sequence of events in a match. Between Morocco and Senegal, there are ties that go beyond football, but at some point, everyone has to defend their country’s colours.”
He added that Senegal felt aggrieved by key moments in the match.
“Everyone saw that Senegal scored a valid goal. At no point did Achraf pay attention to the ball; he focused on Abdoulaye Seck, because he knew he wouldn’t give anything away in the air.”
Photo Credit: AFP
“The referee’s decisions, especially the offside that led to the corner and the penalty, created natural frustration. Despite that, the Senegalese players remained humble, even in victory.
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“There was no noise, no provocation. Their attitude reflected humility and concentration, as if they had already lost the match.”
Photo Credit: AFP
Despite the controversy, Cissé insisted Senegal remain calm and prepared for any possible action from football’s governing bodies.
“There is a lot of noise surrounding these events, but Senegal remains focused. We have competent leaders who are fully aware of the regulations,” he said.
“For the moment, we will savour our victory, remain calm, and issue no comments or statements. We are prepared for anything.”
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Senegal’s latest AFCON success follows years of near-misses, having lost finals in 2019 and earlier editions, before finally lifting the trophy in 2021 and now securing a second continental crown.
