‘I’d rather lose than walk out’ — Mane speaks on ending Senegal’s protest in AFCON final
Sadio Mane said he would “rather lose” than walk out of a football match.
The 33-year-old was speaking on his decision to order his teammates back on the pitch after an initial walkout during the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) against Morocco.
The AFCON final took a dramatic turn late into the game after the referee awarded a 94th-minute penalty to Morocco.
While defending a corner kick, El Hadji Malick Diouf appeared to have dragged Brahim Diaz to the ground in the Senegalese area. The incident seemed to have escaped the match officials until the video assistant referee got involved.