Here's what happened in the game in sequence;
• Morocco gets a penalty.
• The Senegalese coach (Pape Thiaw) calls all the players to leave in protest claiming the penalty is unjust as they did not recieve a penalty earlier in the game.
• As the players are leaving, with some heading to the changing rooms - Senegalese player (Sadio Mané) thinks twice & calls back the players to continue the game.
• The players return & the referee continues the game.
• Morocco misses their penalty.
• Senegal scores a goal.
• Referee ends the game.
• SÉNÉGAL ARE AFRICAN CHAMPIONS!
Here are the IFAB rules pertaining to teams leaving the pitch:
1. Authority to Manage the Situation
Leaving without Permission: A player who leaves the field of play without the referee's permission is guilty of a cautionable offence (yellow card).
Time-Wasting: The referee must make an allowance for time lost due to the walk-off.
Prevention: Referees are encouraged to act in a preventative manner, such as instructing players to return immediately.
Laws of the Game | IFAB
Laws of the Game | IFAB
2. Authority to Restart vs. Abandon
Waiting Period: The referee has the discretion to set a "reasonable amount of time" for the players to return. There is no strictly mandated minute count in the IFAB laws, but once the referee decides the time has been "exceeded" or the situation is unreasonable, they may take further action.
Restoring Order: If players return and the match can continue, the referee has the authority to restart it.
Abandonment: If the team refuses to return within the time specified by the referee, the referee has the authority to abandon the match.
ESPN
ESPN
3. Consequence of Refusal
Forfeit: If players leave the field without permission and refuse to return, the team that remains on the pitch is often awarded a 3-0 victory, regardless of the score at the time of the walk-off.
Reporting: The referee must submit a report to the appropriate authorities regarding the abandonment.
ESPN
ESPN
In summary, the referee can allow the match to continue if they choose to wait for the players to return, but they also have the authority to call off the game, which usually results in a forfeit against the team that left.
The CAF rules regarding a team leaving a game state:
Key CAF Rules on Abandoning a Match:
Forfeiture and Score: A team that refuses to play or abandons the field (e.g., in protest) is deemed to have lost 3-0. If the score at the time is more beneficial to the opposing team (e.g., 4-0), that score stands.
Abandonment Procedure: If a team leaves the pitch, the referee typically waits for a set period (often 15 minutes) before abandoning the match, treating it as a refusal to play.
Immediate Penalties: Under Article 82, a team that abandons a match may face immediate elimination from the tournament.
The referees decision is final. IFAB/FIFA & CAF rules state that should players leave the game in protest or whatever reason, the referee should demand they return & continue the game within a given time or get cautioned &/or lose the game. In the case of Senegal vs Morocco, the players returned voluntarily (in under 15 minutes) without the referee having to warn them. Mind you, Morocco once won an AFCON title in 1976 after abandoning a final game for more than 15 minutes against Guinea. So should Guinea get the AFCON 1976 title that Morocco "won"? Should Argentina be stripped the 1982 World Cup title because of the illegitimate "Hand of god" goal by Diego Maradona against England? It's obscene for a team to be stripped of a title because of biases & "brown envelopes" two months after the tournament is over. Therefore, Senegal's victory is legal from my perspective.
Félicitations Sénégal pour la victoire contre la corruption, le tricherie et les voleurs.
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