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Mauritanian president orders penalties in 63rd minute of cup final

Former head of the presidential guard Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz became "impatient with the tempo of the game."

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the president of Mauritania, ordered a penalty shootout decide the cup final in the 63rd minute
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz points to where he wants the kicks taken from (Image: Magharebia)

The president of Mauritania reportedly ordered a cup final in his country to finish in the 63rd minute of the game with a penalty shootout because he was bored.

The Mauritanian Super Cup final between FC Tevragh-Zeina and ACS Ksar was halted with the score at 1-1 after Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz became “impatient with the tempo of the game,” claim Gazzetta World.

Tevragh-Zeina won the shootout and lifted the trophy, but there is said to have been outrage across the Islamic republic.

However Fédération de Foot-Ball de la Républic Islamique de Mauritanie president Ahmed Ould Abderrahmane has refuted the allegations, releasing a short 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.

Former chief of staff of the Mauritanian Army and head of the presidential guard, career soldier Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz came to power after staging a military coup in 2008, having been dismissed from office earlier that same day.