Search icon

Sport

01st Dec 2015

Mauritanian president denies he sent cup final to penalties in 63rd minute because he was bored

Kevin Beirne

We won’t blame you if you’re not exactly up to date on the latest happenings in the Mauritanian Super Cup.

In case you’d somehow forgotten, FC Tevragh-Zeina took on ACS Ksar in the final over the weekend, with Tevragh-Zeina eventually winning the title after penalty shoot-out.

While it’s perfectly normal for a final to be decided on penalties, it usually happens after 120 minutes of both normal and extra time.

But who has time to wait two hours when you’re bored? At least that was apparently the thinking of Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz who has been forced to deny reports that he demanded the final be sent to penalties after just 63 minutes of play because he was bored.

President Of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz Visits China

With the game tied at 1-1 after little over an hour gone, fans were outraged when a sudden penalty shoot-out was called – with many blaming the country’s president for the action.

The Mauritanian federation have denied the rumours, with the FA’s president, Ahmed Ould Abderrahmane, saying in a statement: ‘I deny in the strongest terms the intervention of the President of the Republic.

‘The decision was made due ​​to organisational issues in accordance with the presidents and the coaches of the two teams.’

Looks like Mauritania haven’t heard of Fergie time yet…