Senegal midfielder Krepin Diatta has slammed Gabonese referee Pierre Atcho for their defeat to Ivory Coast in the round of 16 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Diatta expressed his frustration after the referee failed to check the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the 55th minute for a challenge on Ismaila Sarr inside the penalty area with Senegal still leading by 1-0.
Shortly after the incident, referee Atcho gave Ivory Coast a penalty after checking the VAR for Edouard Mendy’s challenge on Nicolas Pepe, which eventually produced a late equaliser for the Elephants.
Senegal failed to find a winner after 120 minutes of football and they bowed out of the competition to defend their AFCON trophy after losing the penalty shoot-out by 5-4.
“You killed us, you are corrupt! Keep your African Cup,” Diatta said after the game.
“You go to see the VAR to give them a penalty, a guy (Ismaila Sarr) who takes the ball 40 meters away and rides, enters the box, and you don’t want to go watch the VAR? I’m sorry but this is overkill. I’m really sorry but there, they killed our competition.”
The Monaco star was a member of the Senegal squad that won the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon and he played every minute of their games in Ivory Coast.
