Senegal's Diatta labels African football body 'corrupt' after AFCON exit

Krepin Diatta (24), the Senegal winger, could potentially be subjected to disciplinary measures for his allegations of corruption against the Confederation of African Football (CAF). These accusations came after the reigning champions' unfortunate elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations, losing to hosts Ivory Coast in a penalty shootout on Monday.

In an emotional outburst, Monaco winger Diatta expressed his frustration towards the CAF staff, stating, "You have caused our downfall.

Your actions are corrupt. Keep your African Cup." This incident occurred as Diatta was leaving the stadium in Yamoussoukro, the capital of Ivory Coast.

The match between Ivory Coast and Senegal ended in a 1-1 draw, with Ivory Coast emerging victorious in the penalty shootout.

Diatta's anger stemmed from the fact that Senegal was not awarded a penalty early in the second half when Ismaila Sarr was brought down in the Ivory Coast box.

Despite the clear foul, the referee did not point to the spot or review the incident using the pitchside monitor. At that point, Senegal was leading 1-0 thanks to Habib Diallo's early goal.

Adding to the controversy, Ivory Coast was also dissatisfied with the referee's decision not to punish Sadio Mane for a dangerous challenge on Ibrahim Sangare, which only resulted in a yellow card. However, Ivory Coast managed to equalize late in normal time through a penalty awarded after a VAR check.

Diatta expressed his frustration at the inconsistency in VAR decisions, stating, "You go to the VAR to give them a penalty, while our player (Sarr) picks up the ball 40 meters from goal, goes on a run into the box, and you refuse to consult the VAR? This is unacceptable. I apologize, but this has severely impacted our competition."

Ivory Coast will now face either Mali or Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals, which will take place on Saturday in Bouake.