Senegal eagerly awaited the return of its champions Monday, with streets decked out in banners and flags and the population given a national holiday following the country’s thrilling Africa Cup of Nations win over Morocco.After a night of jubilation in Dakar, the morning newspapers were ebullient: “Heroic!” Le Soleil wrote as its single-word headline, while L’Observateur simply called the triumph “Unforgettable”.Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations Sunday as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game.”From hell to paradise, the Lions experienced every emotion”, Le Soleil wrote, calling the tense and closely contested final a “crazy scenario”.The capital, its suburbs and multiple other cities erupted with vuvuzela horns, honking, fireworks and celebratory dancing as hundreds of thousands of fans took to the streets.The win marks Senegal’s second title, after their 2022 victory over Egypt in Cameroon. It was the team’s third final in just the last four editions.The Lions will return to Dakar Monday, a spokesman for the country’s football federation told AFP, adding that the time had yet to be finalized.President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is additionally expected to host them at the presidential palace in the coming days, after calling the players “patriots” and labelling the final a “victory for all Senegalese people”.On Monday afternoon, sporadic vuvuzela toots and car horns could still be heard downtown, although unclear whether a holdover from the prior night’s celebrations or in anticipation of the team’s forthcoming arrival.- Controversy abounds -African football’s showpiece event was marred by most of the Senegal team walking off when, deep into injury time of normal play and with the match locked at 0-0, Morocco were awarded a spot-kick following a VAR check by referee Jean-Jacques Ndala for a challenge on Brahim Diaz.Senegal were already furious at having a goal disallowed for a soft-looking foul minutes earlier.As a group of their enraged fans fought with Moroccan security personnel at the other end of the stadium, Senegal’s players eventually returned to the pitch to see Diaz shoot a soft penalty into the arms of their goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.The contentious ending to the game was far from the only controversy, however.Several days before the final, discord arose over the Senegalese players’ reception in Rabat, particularly for an alleged lack of security as they arrived at the city train station.On Monday FIFA president Gianni Infantino condemned “some Senegal players” for the “unacceptable scenes” which overshadowed their victory.African football’s governing body CAF did not allocate blame but said they would take “appropriate action” against those “found guilty”. Several supporters in Dakar, their voices still hoarse and weary, told AFP they were disappointed by such threats.”With everything that happened before the final, during the final, are we the ones who should be punished, who should pay the price?” Senegal supporter Lucien Pinto asked.For fan Pape Nassirou Soumah, the players “at least corrected their mistake”, he told AFP, adding that “after thinking about it, they realized that’s football. You play, you win, or you lose”.
