Sadio Mane was determined to give a "good image for football" as he defied Senegal's protests in the AFCON final - instead claiming he would "rather lose" that be part of the unsavoury scenes.

The final in Rabat ignited into chaos when the Senegal boss Pape Thiaw ordered his players and staff to leave the pitch after being left fuming that a late penalty was given to Morocco, when the game was still goalless. It led to a 17-minute delay before they eventually returned.

Mane was the only man from his side not to engage in the protest and the former Liverpool man was pictured entering the dressing room and then ushering his colleagues back out on to the pitch, with the help of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. When they returned, Brahim Diaz would miss from 12 yards.

Senegal would run out winners in extra-time, further cementing Mane's status in Africa as he claimed his second AFCON title, but it was his determination to get his team-mates onto the pitch that earned him huge praise.

He said: "Football is something special, the world was watching, the world loves football and I think football is a pleasure so we have to give a good image for football.

• Senegal manager 'hounded out of press conference' after ordering team off pitch in AFCON final

• AFCON final descends into chaos as Senegal players walk off after controversial penalty

"I think it would be crazy to not play this game because what, the referee gave a penalty and we go out of the game? I think that would be the worst thing especially in African football. I'd rather lose than this kind of thing happen to our football. I think it's really bad. Football should not stop for even ten minutes but what can we do? We have to accept that we did but the good thing is that we came back and we played the game and what happened happened."

Mane had confirmed this would be his last AFCON and was presented with the captain's armband by his team-mates before the trophy was lifted. Former Morocco international Hassan Kachloul said "Africa football and world football were losing" until Mane asserted his influence.

"What I like more than anything, the only player from the Senegalese team was Sadio Mane," he told E4. "That shows the great man he is. He went back to the dressing room and brought those players back. Mane was the man to bring them back on."

Thiaw has since owned his error, confessing he let his emotions get the better of him.

"I apologise for the football," he said. "After reflecting on it I made them come back [on the pitch] - you can react in the heat of the moment. We accept the errors of the referee. We shouldn't have done it but it's done and now we present our apologies to football."

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