Ismaila Sarr and Crystal Palace fans discovered on Tuesday evening that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had taken the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title from Senegal.
The Lions of Teranga – as they are nicknamed – made headlines across the planet after walking off the pitch during the final against Morocco in January, feeling aggrieved after the host nation were controversially awarded a late penalty.
To make matters worse, Sarr had only just seen a goal harshly chalked off, leading Senegal to feel they were being cheated as Pape Thiaw led his players off the pitch. 17 minutes passed before they eventually returned and amazingly saw Brahim Diaz miss the penalty with the last kick of normal time.
Pape Gueye eventually scored a winner for Senegal in extra-time to secure a historic victory, but after CAF changed that result to a forfeit and a consequential 3-0 win for Morocco, Crystal Palace No.7 Ismaila Sarr took to Instagram to respond.
Ismaila Sarr mocks CAF decision with several laughing emojis
The 28-year-old is clearly having none of this decision.
Sarr – who shone throughout the tournament – posted an Instagram story in response to the news, which displays six laughing emojis before a second slide shows a photo of him holding the AFCON trophy, defiantly pushing back against the verdict without saying a word.
Several of his Senegal teammates have responded in similar fashion, with Everton duo Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye also posting photos of the celebrations – as if to say CAF can never take the experience from them regardless of what may have been decided in a courtroom.
It feels quite bizarre that the result of a cup final – a major international tournament no less – can be overturned two months after the game, but with so much wrong about football nowadays, few can realistically say this decision comes as a surprise.
