Pure bedlam erupted in the dying seconds of regulation time as one of the most disputed penalty calls in AFCON history sent the game into a spiral of uncertainty.
The pitch became a sea of gesturing players and shouting coaches after VAR confirmed a foul in the box that Senegal insisted never happened.
For nearly ten minutes, the future of the match hung in the balance as the Senegalese side hovered near the touchline, threatening a full-scale walk-off. It was a moment of peak tension that only subsided when Sadio Mané took command of the situation, leading his frustrated teammates back to their positions.
The ultimate irony followed: the penalty, which had caused so much wreckage, was wasted. Brahim Díaz’s effort was easily gathered by Édouard Mendy, a climactic save that ensured this epic battle would continue into the grueling territory of extra time.