Senegal winger Krepin Diatta has accused the organisers of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) of corruption following his team’s elimination in the round of 16 by tournament hosts Ivory Coast.
The match, which took place on Monday evening, ended in a dramatic penalty shootout after both teams were tied at 1-1 in normal time.
Senegal, the defending champions, initially led the game for most of the match after a goal by Habib Diallo in the fourth minute.
However, Ivory Coast managed to level the score four minutes from the end of the match, eventually triumphing in the penalty shootout.
The crucial moment in the shootout came when Senegal’s third penalty taker, Moussa Niakhate, hit the post, allowing Ivory Coast to advance to the quarter-finals.
Diatta’s allegations of corruption came from an incident during the second half of the match.
He was reportedly upset about a decision involving a clash between Odilon Kossounou of Ivory Coast and Ismaila Sarr of Senegal in the penalty box, which the referee chose not to review by using the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
VAR was then later used to award a penalty to Ivory Coast, which led to their equalising goal.
Following the match, Diatta voiced his frustration to the officials, accusing them of killing the competition and being corrupt, Daily Mail reported.
He was quoted as saying, “You have killed us. You are corrupt. Keep your African Cup.”
The incident adds to the controversy, as earlier in the match, former Liverpool star Sadio Mane, playing for Senegal, was involved in a harsh challenge against Ivory Coast’s Ibrahim Sangaré but did not receive a yellow card.
Pictured above: Krepin Diatta.
Image source: X
