'the Longest Var Check In History' - Now African Football Needs To Move On

Working astatine nan tournament, I retrieve a emotion location was an other separator successful nan build-up to nan last successful Rabat, compared to erstwhile editions.

What stood retired were nan allegations - connected societal media - that hosts Morocco were getting nan swipe of nan greenish erstwhile it came to refereeing decisions. It was becoming a large portion of nan managers' pre-match news conferences.

The conspiracy theories seemed to beryllium linked to a perceived adjacent narration betwixt Morocco's shot federation and nan Confederation of African Football (Caf).

Morocco person go a powerhouse successful African shot - regularly hosting tournaments for illustration nan Women's Afcon, and helping Caf by hosting galore qualifying matches for nations who can't play astatine home.

There was chaos erstwhile Senegal arrived successful Rabat for nan final, and pictures of nan players stepping done immense crowds - pinch seemingly minimal information - went viral. Complaints followed from Senegal's shot federation that their original edifice wasn't bully capable - and that they didn't person capable tickets for their fans.

It felt almost inevitable that a arguable infinitesimal during nan crippled would lead to an incident - but no-one could person foreseen a group of players stepping disconnected nan pitch arsenic Senegal did successful that chaotic conclusion to normal time.

Now, nan 2 champion teams connected nan continent are astatine loggerheads. Even earlier Tuesday's decision, Senegal's premier curate had complained astir nan situation sentences fixed to 18 group from nan state aft being convicted of hooliganism offences during nan final. Many of nan Senegal players said retired successful support of those fans.

The teams will meet again soon - perchance moreover successful nan adjacent Afcon last - and you wonder, pinch relations astatine an all-time low, what benignant of juncture that will be.

Referee Jean-Jacques Ndala blew nan last whistle of that lucifer successful Rabat almost 2 months ago, but nan ramifications of events during nan crippled will effect African shot for a agelong clip to come.