United Arab Emirates referee Ali Bujsaim has insisted that he was not to blame for Senegal's bad-tempered African Nations Cup elimination at the hands of Tunisia on Saturday.
The hosts won the stormy quarter-final clash 1-0 but Senegal, runners-up two years ago, were adamant that the move that led to the winning goal should have been halted because El Hadji Diouf had been fouled.
But Tunisia's Mehdi Nafti pinched the ball off the Liverpool ace, passed to Ziad Jaziri whose overhead cross fell for Jawhar Mnari to power a downward header past Tony Sylva in the Senegal goal.
"I took my decision in all conscience. I am certain of my decision. There was no foul on El Hadji Diouf. I think it was simulation and then there were several passes before the goal," Bujsaim told AFP.
After the goal was scored, the referee was beseiged by angry Senegal officials who ran onto the pitch to protest and, at the end of the match, 10 minutes of injury time was played.
"I have never seen anything like it," said the Emirati official who has refereed in three World Cups.
The match, which was played in thick fog at the 60,000-capacity Rades Stadium, saw few chances created and the only talking points surrounded arguments between players and cynical tackles while, at one stage, Tunisia coach Roger Lemerre had to intervene to prevent Diouf from charging towards the hosts' bench.
"It is a great blow for fair play. Players on both sides were not very co-operative," added the referee who was also in charge when Senegal inflicted their famous win over Lemerre's French side at the 2002 World Cup.
"The Senegalese were too nervous in the match and the security officials were not successful in clearing the pitch of the invaders.
"It wasn't for me to do their job for them but I tried to finish the match without distributing too many yellow cards."
Only Senegal's Pape Bouba Diop and Salif Diao were booked - both before the match erupted after Mnari's goal.
Bujsaim, who said he wasn't touched during the altercation with the Senegal staff, said he will be including the incident in his report.
"What happens after that is out of my hands," he said.
Tunisia will now face either defending champions Cameroon or Nigeria in Wednesday's semi-finals.
Senegal coach Guy Stephan blamed Bujsaim for his side's elimination.
"The match was decided on an error by the referee," said Stephan.
"We had confidence in the Confederation of African Football choosing a neutral referee but the images are clear, there was a mistake," said Stephan.
Lemerre tried to calm the waters.
"It was a wild match in the last twenty minutes," said the Frenchman. "I won't accuse anyone. Everyone is responsible when there is trouble and to officiate is not easy. You need courage and the referee made his decisions from his soul and conscience."