By Rasheed Adewuyi, New York
Veteran football coach Claude Le Roy has revealed that he advised Senegal captain Sadio Mané to urge his teammates to return to the pitch after they briefly walked off during the chaotic 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco’s Atlas Lions on Sunday.
The AFCON final descended into tension and disorder late in the match after Senegal had a goal disallowed and Morocco were awarded a controversial penalty. The back-to-back decisions sparked fury among Senegal’s players, who felt aggrieved by what they perceived as biased officiating, while disturbances also broke out in the stands.
With emotions running high, several Senegal players left the pitch in protest, placing the final on the brink of abandonment.
According to a report monitored on Football Picante on FOX Sports, Mané approached Claude Le Roy, a former Senegal national team coach, on the touchline to seek guidance on how the team should respond amid the growing uncertainty.
The report stated that Le Roy urged calm and encouraged Mané to convince his teammates to continue the match.
“Keep playing; you never know what might happen next,” Le Roy reportedly told the Senegal captain.
Mané followed the advice, returned to his teammates, and successfully persuaded them to resume play, ensuring that the final could be completed despite the volatile atmosphere.
Senegal went on to secure a 1–0 victory, with Pape Gueye’s goal proving decisive, as the Teranga Lions claimed the continental title in one of the most dramatic AFCON finals in recent history.
Mané’s intervention has since been widely praised as a defining moment of leadership, helping Senegal avoid potential disciplinary consequences and allowing the match to reach a sporting conclusion despite the controversy that overshadowed the final.