Former South Africa international, Teko Modise, has slammed Morocco forward, Brahim Diaz over his penalty kick in their 1-0 defeat to Senegal in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.
Modise said he would never speak to Diaz again if they were teammates and he missed such a golden opportunity while trying to play stylish football.
Diaz wasted a golden opportunity to hand his country the trophy with the last kick of the game but he opted for a strange panenka which was no problem for goalkeeper, Eduoard Mendy.
The match had remained goalless after the referee disallowed Ismaila Sarr’s header for a foul on Achraf Hakimi.
And Diaz’s penalty came in the 97th minute, after a lot of tension, that saw the Senegalese players walk off the pitch.
Pape Gueye then stunned Morocco in the first half of extra time with a sublime left-footed finish, to ensure the West Africans emerged champions.
Speaking on SuperSport, Modise said there was nothing wrong with Diaz changing his style of playing penalty, especially as a penalty taker.
He also said that missing the penalty was not the problem but how the penalty was missed.
“You need to assume, like you’re rightfully saying, that people do analysis and see what type of penalties you normally take.
“But also, when you are in this moment, when you are five goals in and you are playing at home you can do that but you guys haven’t won the trophy for the last 50 years, and you were the most standout player in this situation.
“You want to write new history within your national team, you have such a big moment where you are surrounded by superstars but they are willing to give you the ball to actually take the penalty.
“You didn’t deserve it because you didn’t have a good game, but they’re willing to give you the ball to actually go and take the penalty, and then you do that?
“You know, seconds away from the game to end? That for me, I will never, if you’re my teammate, we are not talking to each other again. No conversations, in the bus, in the dressing room, wherever.
“The thing is, those who have taken penalties before they missed the penalty. It’s how you miss the penalty like a few seconds to go then you’re the champions, and you do that? You expect a handshake? You won’t shake this hand.
“And he had a penalty early on into the tournament where he scored. He used his right foot to score the penalty.”