There was a lot of childish behaviour on show at the Afcon final last night, some of it perpetrated by actual children. Despite not playing so much as a minute for Senegal during the tournament, their substitute Yehvann Diouf was arguably his side’s man of the match, so heroic was the lone stand he took near Édouard Mendy’s goal literally fighting off a succession of Moroccan ball boys and substitutes who repeatedly tried to steal the towel which his fellow goalkeeper was using to keep his gloves dry. Never mind the wet conditions, Mendy could have slathered his Uhlsport mitts with copious amounts of butter and still comfortably held the pitiful Panenka gently floated his way from the penalty spot with what should have been the winner and the final kick of the game by Morocco’s Brahim Díaz. While conspiracy theorists have suggested the tournament’s top scorer may have agreed to miss on purpose in the interests of sportsmanship, Mendy scoffed at the notion. “No of course not,” he said. “Let’s be serious.” Upon being presented with his golden boot by Gianni Infantino, Díaz looked a genuinely broken man and quite possibly told the Fifa president to just add his trophy to the burgeoning collection of shiny football memorabilia owned by his American bestie in the White House. I was originally an idealist: I wanted to deliver my kids a world without racism. But I now recognise this is a marathon. Racism has been here for hundreds of years and it might take another 100 years to dismantle but we’ll get there” – Shaka Hislop, former Newcastle goalkeeper, opens up on the abuse he received when he first moved to the north-east and his journey since as an anti-racist campaigner. Poor, poor Brahim Diaz, who in the wake the worst moment of his professional life then had to accept a Golden Boot trophy from Gianni Infantino. Like he was some sort of slighted right winger getting a participation trophy. I’m sure Roy Keane could advise him on advising Infantino as to what he could do with his Golden Boot” – Justin Kavanagh. There are many ways to achieve greatness in sport. A true pinnacle of greatness was clear when Sadio Mané single-handedly saved the 2026 Afcon final from an ignominious ending. Amid the ego and high dudgeon of the Senegalese wrong-headed manager, who called his players off the field, Mané was bigger than that. He understood that calls are often seen as unequal, and the game has hard knocks, but that the reputation of his team, of Afcon, and so much was bigger than the manager’s and some teammates’ fits of pique. He brought his teammates and the gaffer back, so that the match could play itself out. And what a last 30 minutes of ‘heavy metal football’ (yes, I’m a Kloppite). To my mind a fitting and just ending, from Gueye’s fabulous strike. Mané was a leader and a star at Anfield, his leadership in Morocco earns him a place in the pantheon of football’s greats” – Mark Quigley. Further to my letter of consolation to Crystal Palace fans ( last Tuesday’s Football Daily letters ), and in the light of events from Friday … sorry, I’ve got nothing” – Gumley Slats. Continue reading...