Senegal's goal against Bounou: correct decision or refereeing blunder?Goal Senegal / @Bein Sport On Sunday night, Senegal clinched the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 for the second time in their history,...
Senegal's goal against Bounou: correct decision or refereeing blunder?
Goal Senegal / @Bein Sport
On Sunday night, Senegal clinched the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 for the second time in their history, edging out Morocco (1-0 in the final. The only goal of the match came from Bab Gaye in the first half of extra time.
However, this final will long be remembered for a heated refereeing controversy in the dying moments of regulation time. In the 90th minute, Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala disallowed a Senegal goal for a prior foul. Just minutes later, in the 90+8th minute, Ibrahim Diaz missed a penalty that could have drawn Morocco level.
The disallowed goal for the Lions of Teranga sparked a fierce divide among refereeing experts, reigniting the debate over decision-making quality in this high-stakes final.
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Was Senegal's goal against Bounou legitimate? Experts weigh in
Former international referee Jamal Al-Sharif argued that the referee's decision was justified.
According to him, Senegal defender Abdoulaye Seck committed a foul during the corner kick in the 92nd minute, using his arm to push Achraf Hakimi and sending the Moroccan captain tumbling in the box, thereby preventing him from playing the ball.
In contrast, Egyptian refereeing expert Yasser Abdel Raouf, speaking on Stade El Mehwar, claimed the Senegalese goal was perfectly valid.
He highlighted the absence of any foul and stated the referee should have let play continue before resorting to VAR.
Meanwhile, former Egyptian international referee Tawfik El-Sayed also deemed the goal's cancellation unjustified.
He argued that the contact between the two players did not constitute a foul and insisted the referee should have consulted the video assistant, adding the goal was "100% valid."
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Category: General Sports
