Senegal were hauled off by boss Pape Thiaw after Morocco were handed a penalty in the dying minutes.
After ten minutes of delay, Al Nassr striker Mane managed to convince his teammates to return to the pitch. Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Diaz fluffed his penalty for Morocco, which took the final into extra-time.
And Pape Gueye, of Villarreal, struck Senegal's winner to avoid the final going to a penalty shootout.
Mane said: “It was me who convinced the team to return to the pitch. The players and the coach had decided to withdraw, and I didn’t understand that decision.
"But in the end, I told everyone to come back immediately and play at all costs.”
He added: “The decision was being made by everyone.
“The team told me they had decided to leave the field and not play, but I was there, I spoke with some about whether it was a good idea or not and decided to bring everyone back onto the pitch.
“I think it was the best thing. This is football. The referee can sometimes make mistakes, but we don’t know. We’re in the game and people judge. It could have been a penalty or not, but that wasn’t the most important thing.
“The most important thing was the people who were watching. The world was watching this match and it wasn’t fair to stop the game in that way.
“It would have been a shame to see this kind of scenario happen. Just imagine a second going into the locker rooms and the football match stopping there.
“I think that would convey a negative image of our football. I think Africa today does not deserve that.”