Senegal clinched the Africa Cup of Nations title with a dramatic 1–0 victory over hosts Morocco in a final marred by controversy, protests and extraordinary scenes late in the game.
The match took a chaotic turn in the dying moments of normal time when Morocco were awarded a late penalty following a tussle in the box involving Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Díaz. Referee Jean-Jacques Ndala, after a prolonged VAR review, pointed to the spot — a decision that sparked furious reactions from Senegal’s players and technical team.
Head coach Pape Thiaw, incensed by the call, ordered his players off the pitch in protest. Senegal captain Sadio Mané was seen appealing to his teammates as they headed toward the tunnel, with some hesitating before eventually following him off. Mané later sprinted down the tunnel as tensions continued to rise.
The sense of injustice was compounded by the fact that Senegal had earlier seen what they believed was a late winning goal by Ismaïla Sarr ruled out for a foul in the build-up. Moments later, Díaz went down under a challenge from El Hadji Malick Diouf, leading to the controversial penalty award.
As tempers flared, several Senegal supporters broke through advertising boards and ran onto the pitch before riot police intervened to restore order. After several minutes of stoppage, Senegal were persuaded to return to the field.
The penalty was eventually taken by Díaz in the 113th minute — 17 minutes after the original incident — but the 26-year-old’s weak effort was comfortably saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. In the aftermath of the chaos, referee Ndala booked several Senegal players, including Sarr and Diouf, while Mendy also received a yellow card for confronting the officials as he emerged from the dressing room.
Díaz appeared visibly shaken by the episode and was quickly consoled by teammates when the referee blew for full time at the end of 90 minutes, with the Moroccan star close to tears after missing the decisive spot kick.
Morocco head coach Walid Regragui, who had earlier tried to calm Thiaw before the walk-off, showed little sympathy as the match moved into extra time. Within five minutes of the restart, Senegal struck the decisive blow through Pape Gueye, giving the West Africans the lead.
Regragui substituted Díaz at the start of extra time as Morocco struggled to recover. The closing stages were played in torrential rain, with objects thrown onto the pitch by sections of the home crowd toward Mendy’s goal.
Senegal held firm to seal the title, collapsing in celebration on the soaked turf at the final whistle after one of the most dramatic reversals of fortune in AFCON history. Morocco, meanwhile, saw their wait for continental glory stretch to 50 years.
The dramatic protest divided opinion among pundits. Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel admitted he understood Senegal’s frustration but criticised the decision to leave the pitch.
“I can understand their frustration,” he said “But walking off the pitch is not what I want to see.”
