Referee Victor Gomes Speaks Out About Infamous Mohamed Salah Moment in AFCON 2021 Final That Went Viral

• South African referee Victor Gomes has spoken for the first time since his handling of the 2021 African Cup of Nations final between Egypt and Senegal
• Gomes became a global talking point for his hilarious handling of star Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah and other teammates
• He said that the historic moment was all about putting the interest of the game first, which was echoed by his bosses back home

No-nonsense South African referee Victor Gomes has spoken out for the first time since the 2021 African Cup of Nations final in Cameroon where he became a global household name.

In a match that Senegal won on penalties after it ended 0-0 in regulation time, Gomes was seen reading Egyptian superstar Mo Salah the riot act. To cap off the memorable moment, he then offered Salah the whistle, sarcastically urging him to officiate the match after incessant complaining by the Liverpool forward.

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Gomes has since come out and said that his approach to the final was to ensure that he put the game first, as reported on Sport24.

He said:

"I respect the players that I officiate with and I don't like to talk about the decisions I make on the field. However, I do like to highlight some points for educational purposes and I also believe we have a responsibility to report positively on football matters so that our work is understood.

"All I can say is that on Sunday, I chose to manage a top-class player in a way I thought it would be deemed appropriate and responsible."

The South Africa Football Association, the custodians of all referees across the land, was on record expressing pride at the way Gomes and fellow countryman Zakhele Siwela, assistant during the match, handled themselves.

According to KickOff, SAFA head of referees Abdul Ebrahim said:

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"We were more than just impressed we were happy and were extremely proud. Watching the game, it was just amazing to see how professional they were. It requires match officials that have a big match temperament. I don't think this Afcon final could have asked for more."

AFCON 2021 final reaction: Victor Gomes praised for keeping title match well under control

South African referee Victor Gomes will not be intimidated no matter who you are and what you're about.

As reported on Sports Brief, Gomes was the talk of the town after his masterful handling of the 2021 African Cup of Nations final last night between Senegal and Egypt.

Gomes was the target of constant badgering by the Egyptians, who kept questioning his decisions.