OTB Football
FOOTBALL DAILY: 'If El-Hadji Diouf is your peacemaker, how bonkers is the situation?!' AFCON final fallout, Parrott's new boss, and Klopp on Madrid chatter
19 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Off the Ball, GAA. What is it about the Dingle Peninsula that creates such great football? It's an interesting one, isn't it? There's a story, a tradition down there, and they're obviously on a crest of a wave at the minute.
Join in the obsession. Subscribe now at offtheball.com forward slash join. Off the Balls, Football Daily. Hello and welcome along to Monday's Football Daily. I'm Phil Egan. Coming up, we've the fallout from the chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.
Troy Parrott is set to have a new club manager after Alkmaar's Zach Martin-Martins and Jurgen Klopp has his say on those Real Madrid rumours. But first to events in Rabat where Senegal stormed off the field in protest at a penalty awarded to host Morocco deep in injury time in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Senegal went on to win the game 1-0 after extra time to win the tournament for a second time. Crystal Palace winger Ismail Assar had a goal disallowed for Senegal in injury time for a foul on Ashraf Hakimi. Shortly after that then, the host Morocco were awarded a penalty. when VAR intervened.
The referee was sent to the monitor and pointed to the penalty spot for a foul by Senegal and West Ham defender El Hadji Malik Jouf on Brahim Diaz. At that stage, things got heated on the pitch and in the stands. Senegal manager Pap Thieu ordered his players off the pitch. It was Sadio Mane who persuaded them to come back.
Diaz had to wait around 15 minutes to take his penalty, and the Real Madrid forward opted for a penenca, which was saved by former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The game went to extra time, and then Pap Gay scored a stunning goal early in extra time to win it for Senegal.
Senegal's actions will be seen as a major blight on an otherwise successful tournament, although the feat continues Morocco's poor record in the tournament, which they only previously won 50 years ago. Captain Mane said his side had to continue the game.
Yeah, I think it was the best thing to do because this is just football. I think the referee sometimes can do mistakes, but can also say what is... We don't know. We're just in the game, so people will judge this. But I think it could be penalty or no, but that's not more important.
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Chapter 2: What happened during the chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final?
No more important. It's about the people who are watching the world. The world is watching this football, and the world is not fair to stop the game like this. So... I think it was really, really important to play this game. Even though we could have won or we could have lost, it doesn't matter.
Football writer Jonathan Wilson, who was at the game, gave his explanation on the chaotic scenes on his Instagram page.
Edouard Mendy seemed to be at the centre of that. Idrissa Gueye was definitely involved in it. Pap Chor, the manager, was definitely signaling them off. And not all of them went. Some of them went down the tunnel. Some of them hung around the touchline. Sadio Mane was the one who was... I'd say most against it. And he certainly then was the one who did most to get them back on the pitch.
Now, Claude Loire, who, you know, grand old man of African coaching, he's coached eight African teams, including Senegal, many, many years ago. I mean, long before Mano was playing.
he said Mane came up to him and said what do I do and so some kind of peace was broken Elhadj Juff not the not Elhadj Malik Juff the West Ham player Elhadj Juff the former Bolton Liverpool Sunderland player he was in the middle of it calming things down I mean if Elhadj Juff is your peacemaker how bonkers is the situation and so eventually they do come back up
The Confederation of African Football released a statement earlier on to condemn the behaviour of the newly crowned champions. CAF say they'll take account of what happened, stating action will be taken against those found guilty. AZ Alkmaar have sacked their manager Martin Martins after a poor run of form.
Troy Parrott's side were beaten 3-1 at Pegsvalla on Saturday, just a few days after AZ hammered Ajax 6-0 in the Dutch Cup. Again, Parrott scored a hat-trick in. Alkmaar are eighth in the Eredivisie after losing five of their last seven league games. Martens was in charge for two years.
Everton boss David Moyes says he's not thinking about their challenge for European football after a 1-0 win away to Aston Villa. Everton are just four points behind neighbours Liverpool who were fourth in the Premier League.
Sometimes football management is stinking, which it was last week. You get knocked out of the cup, you know, the week we don't get wins. So we've had a stinking week. We've been hiding, trying not to be noticeable if possible. But in behind that, we've been trying to work to get things as good as we can. And knowing that we didn't, sort of any players coming back, was probably the big thing.
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Chapter 3: How did Senegal's Sadio Mane influence the team's actions?
Wolves boss Rob Edwards feels his side are looking a lot more solid after the nil-all draw. It's now five games without defeat in all competitions.
I do think we look more resilient. I think there's more belief there. And, you know, that's hard to sort of turn around from the position that we were in. There was a few that were feeling it, feeling the pressure, maybe a bit vulnerable. So, yeah, we're certainly trending in the right direction.
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank took training on Sunday and it very much seemed to be business as usual. Ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game at home to Borussia Dortmund, the Dane is under massive pressure after Saturday's 2-1 loss at home to struggling West Ham, which led to the club's fans calling for Frank to be sacked in the morning.
Spurs are 14th in the league and have won only two of their last 13 in the top flight. On Monday morning's off-the-ball breakfast, football writer Henry Winter joined Colin Boohig and Gerard Gilroy and questioned the optics of Frank on the touchline at Spurs.
You've been writing about Spurs on X. You do make the point, you know, the recruitment of Thomas Frank, you know, it did excite some people. Frank was shortlisted for the LMA and Premier League Manager of the Year in 2024-25. What the hell is happening with this club, you know? So is this more of a Thomas Frank issue that he can't adapt to the bigger time?
Or is this fundamentally, you mentioned the DNA there earlier to do with Michael Carrick and Manchester United. Is there a DNA issue with Tottenham Hotspur?
I think it's both. I think it's the culture of the club. Antonio Conte left the club in, what was it, 2021, maybe later, throwing hand grenades around as he climbed aboard. Ryanair rushed out of the country to get back to Italy.
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Chapter 4: What were the implications of Senegal's protest during the match?
Talked about selfish players. I think he talked about, you know, the issues of leadership. I think the board has become a little bit more aware, a little bit more prepared to communicate with fans. I mean, the chief executive put out a very good statement in the program and to support us last week. And that needs to be backed up with words.
And, you know, you talk about recruitment and Tottenham Hotspur have spent a lot, but it's also about characters, about leaders. It's about things that stats don't always show you. It's about talking to scouts and contacts and ringing around saying, is he a good character? What's he like when you're 2-0 down? What's he like when you're 2-0 up? Will he coast or whatever?
So, you know, they're absolutely their elements there. Thomas Frank doesn't. There is an element of, you know, listen, mate, this is not Brentford. This is a huge step up. This is Tottenham with the intensity of media interest, the supporters. You've got a magnificent stadium. You've got a magnificent training ground. Respond to that. I mean, it's interesting.
I live near Leicester and there is a local argument that one of Leicester City's problems has been since they moved to this unbelievable Ā£100 million training facility, I mean, the argument was put to me when Jamie Vardy was there. Does Jamie Vardy need a herb garden to make him play better? And there is that element.
And that has been suggested as an issue at Tottenham Hotspur, but then they got to the 2019 Champions League final while still at Hotspur, while at Hotspur away. So I don't know. Look, there are many reasons, but cultural absolutely is an issue. And Thomas Frank, I mean, it sounds like he's got the...
The boards vote for the Borussia Dortmund game, which is just as well because you've got press conference, you've got open training and then a press conference. Today, looking forward to the Dortmund game. And I can't imagine there are going to be any questions about the game. But all about him and his future. Look, he's a decent man and he's a good manager. He showed that at Brentford.
But making that step, which Carrick has been able to do, because as you say, he understands the DNA of the club. You've got to look the part of managers of certain clubs. One of the reasons why Russell Martin...
struggled at Rangers he didn't look the part that might seem a really superficial thing but actually if you talk to Rangers fans and you talk to former Rangers players they'll say yeah you've got to wear a suit you've got to look the part it's about the DNA now that's a Rangers issue
Michael Carrick, when he was in the dugout, he exuded, even though he's not an arrogant individual, he exuded an authority and a, I want to be here. And he wasn't wearing a club suit or whatever, but he just looked the part. It's like Jose in his coat. We always come back to coats. Coats and waistcoats in this country. And Thomas Frank doesn't look the part necessarily in the Tottenham area.
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