Former Ghana and Senegal head coach Claude Le Roy has revealed the advice he gave Sadio Mané during a tense moment in the Africa Cup of Nations final, after Senegalese players briefly walked off the pitch against hosts Morocco.

The dramatic incident occurred following a controversial penalty decision awarded to Morocco by referee Jacques Ndala, moments after a Senegal goal had been disallowed at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

Le Roy, who was pitchside at the time, was seen speaking with Mané after the Teranga Lions left the field in protest. Speaking to Canal Plus, the veteran coach explained the conversation.

“When the Senegalese team left the pitch, Sadio Mané was alone on the field and he came to me and asked what I would do if I were in his place,” Le Roy said.

“I told him I would have continued playing. I explained that the result had not yet been decided.”

According to Le Roy, Mané took the advice on board and immediately acted.
“After that, he went to bring his teammates back onto the field,” he added.

Senegal eventually regained composure and went on to secure the AFCON title with a hard-fought 1–0 victory, sealed by Pape Gueye’s decisive goal in first-half extra time, crowning the Teranga Lions champions of Africa amid one of the most controversial finals in recent history.