By Al-Yurae Sports Desk
Senegal claimed their second Africa Cup of Nations crown after a dramatic 1-0 extra-time victory over hosts Morocco in Rabat, in a final overshadowed by controversy and on-field chaos.
In a tense encounter, referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a 98th-minute penalty after a VAR review for a challenge by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim Diaz. Outraged by the decision—and by an earlier disallowed goal—Senegal coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players off the pitch in protest.
The match was halted for nearly 17 minutes amid chaotic scenes. Star forward Sadio Mane tried to calm his teammates, urging them to return and finish the match. When play resumed, Morocco’s top scorer Diaz stepped up but saw his casual ‘Panenka’ attempt easily saved by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The game moved into extra time, still goalless.
Senegal struck the decisive blow in the fourth minute of extra time, when Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye fired into the top corner to silence 66,000 fans and secure the Lions of Teranga their second continental title in five years, following their 2022 triumph over Egypt.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui later called Senegal’s temporary walkout “shameful” and “unworthy of African football,” while Thiaw admitted his decision was emotional and wrong: “It was the heat of the moment. We apologise to football.”
Sadio Mane, named Player of the Tournament, said afterward: “Football is about spirit and respect. We had to continue and show that the game is bigger than any dispute.”
Edouard Mendy, now with Saudi side Al-Ahli, praised his team’s unity: “We came back together—that’s all that matters.”
The result left Morocco heartbroken as they missed out on their first AFCON title since 1976, despite Diaz’s five goals and Yassine Bounou’s stellar performances that earned him the Best Goalkeeper award.
For Senegal, the victory cemented their dominance in African football and added further weight to their ambitions ahead of the next World Cup—while for Morocco, the night ended in frustration, with dreams of continental glory fading under the Rabat rain.
