Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has said Senegal approached Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final fully prepared after learning from Nigeria’s controversial semi-final clash with host nation Morocco.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Dikko said the officiating issues witnessed in the Super Eagles’ match against Morocco played a key role in shaping Senegal’s mindset ahead of the final. “Senegal learned from what happened to Nigeria in the last match. 

The officiating was not what it was supposed to be. Everybody felt something was off, so Senegal came prepared,” he said. Despite applauding Senegal’s preparation, Dikko condemned the conduct displayed during the final, describing it as d+maging to the image of African football.

“The rules are rules. What happened brought the game into disrepute, and I’m sure CAF and FIFA will respond to it. Football is not played like that, and a referee’s decision is not supposed to be challenged,” he said. Dikko noted that while the tournament was generally well organised, the incident in the final could overshadow its successes.

“African football has taken a h+t. It was a brilliant competition with great investment, facilities and organisation, but this incident may end up defining it,” he stated. “I hope lessons have been learned. CAF will surely do something about it,” Dikko concluded.