INCREDIBLE SCENES! Senegal off the pitch in AFCON final after late penalty award

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw directed his players off the pitch and back onto the bench in apparent protest over a late penalty awarded to Morocco in the dying minutes of the AFCON final.

Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz went down tussling for the ball in the box, with the referee Jean-Jacques Ndala and VAR taking their time over the decision to award the spot kick.

After consulting the monitor, Morocco - the host nation - were awarded the penalty, but the decision over whether it was deserved boiled over into a row between players and coaches - with Thiaw then calling his players off the pitch.

Former Liverpool icon Sadio Mane appealed to his team-mates as they made their way down the tunnel, with some wavering over whether they should leave or not.

Mane eventually departed by the tunnel, and was seen sprinting towards the dressing room.

After a few minutes earlier, Senegal had what they believed to be a late winner from Ismaila Sarr chalked off for a foul in the build-up, further adding to the feeling of bad luck amongst the side when Diaz was downed by El Hadji Malick Diouf.

During the melee, a handful of Senegal fans even made their way onto the pitch, breaking through the advertising boards before they were rounded up by security.

Senegal were later convinced back onto the pitch, with the penalty kick eventually taken by Diaz in the 113th minute - 17 minutes after he was fouled.

The 26-year-old stepped up to the spot but missed with an underpowered effort that flew straight into Edouard Mendy's gloves.

Ndala added a number of Senegalese players to the book in the midst of melee, with Sarr and Diouf both booked for their part in the fury that following the awarding of the penalty.

As Mendy came out of the dressing room with his team-mates after taking part in Thiaw's protest, he too was handed a yellow card for arguing with the referee.

But it was Diaz who seemed most impacted by the extraordinary scenes, compelled to attempt a Paneka that had no hope of bypassing the former Chelsea goalkeeper.

Diaz was quickly surrounded by his team-mates as Ndala blew up for the end of the 90 minutes, and appeared to be on the brink of tears after squandering his chance of netting the winner.

His manager Walid Regragui, who had gone to lengths to calm his opposite number Thiaw before he whisked his players down the tunnel, cut a far less sympathetic figure however, with his side now forced to endure extra time - and within the opening five minutes after the restart, Pape Gueye scored for Senegal.

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In the last minutes of AFCON final time we've witnessed:

A Senegal goal disallowed

Morocco winning a penalty

The Senegal players leaving the pitch in protest

The Senegal players returning to the pitch

Brahim Diaz attempting a Panenka from the spot with the last kick of the game

Edouard Mendy saving the penalty