The African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) reached its climax last Sunday. The final was set to take place in Rabat. Morocco, the tournament's hosts, managed to reach the final and therefore aimed to win the tournament on home soil. Senegal stood in their way.
The match-up was highly anticipated. Each side were equally strong when you consider the personnel that each side possessed. In the match itself, there wasn't much drama until the very end when Morocco were awarded a penalty. It would be an understatement to say that Senegal weren't happy with the decision.
The final was an embarrassing night for football on the continent. The reputational damage to African football will linger on for a long time.
A match that promised so much between two high-quality teams produced astonishing scenes of acrimony and chaos in the Moroccan capital, Rabat. When the dust has settled, the inquest will begin.
Trouble started brewing as a tight final, locked at 0-0, entered added time. Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr appeared to have scored, only for the goal to be disallowed by referee, Jean-Jacques Ndala, who decided Abdoulaye Seck had fouled Morocco defender, Achraf Hakimi. It was a decision that clearly incensed Senegal coach, Pape Thiaw.
Then came the chaos. In the final minute of added time, Morocco’s Real Madrid star, Brahim Diaz, hit the ground and vehemently appealed for a penalty. After a video assistant referee (VAR) review, where Ndala was jostled by scuffling coaches and players, a highly controversial penalty was awarded and a chance for Morocco to win it at the death.
It was then that the sparks of conflict turned into a fire. Thiaw felt Senegal had been cheated and had a case but when he ushered his team off the field and down the tunnel in protest; he pivoted the final into dangerous territory. It took over 17 minutes for play to restart while objects were thrown from the crowd and some fans staged a pitch invasion. Thiaw later admitted he shouldn’t have taken this action but the damage was done.
The tension inside the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium could have led to even uglier scenes before attention turned to the penalty spot and the ball in the hands of Diaz, while Senegal’s players continued to complain bitterly. It was his moment, Morocco’s moment, after a painful 50-year wait to be champions of Africa.
What Diaz – who was the media darling of AFCON 2025 with a tournament-high five goals – did next encapsulated the craziness of the night.
Inexplicably, he attempted a "Panenka" chip but embarrassingly, the Real Madrid winger clipped the ball straight into the arms of Senegal’s goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy. The home crowd of over 66 000 at the stadium were struggling to comprehend what had just unfolded.
Diaz, whose five goals had propelled the hosts to the final, tried a 'Panenka' chipped penalty. It backfired. Horrendously so. Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy stood his ground and caught the ball in embarrassingly simple fashion.
The former Manchester City player and tournament's top-scorer, looked distraught as it began to sink in what he had just done. Later, television cameras zoomed in on him on the Morocco bench, after he had been substituted in extra time, holding back tears.
The Real Madrid attacker had been made to wait around 17 minutes to take the kick after the majority of Senegal's players, including Mendy, marched off the pitch in protest at the award of the penalty.
"He had a lot of time before taking the penalty which must have disturbed him," said Morocco manager, Walid Regragui. "But we can't change what happened. That is how he chose to take the penalty. We need to look forwards now."
Diaz's penalty turned out to be the last kick of normal time. Four minutes into extra time, Senegal's Pape Gueye lashed in what turned out to be the winner to leave Diaz and his Morocco team-mates heartbroken.
"I think Brahim Diaz is going to have a lot of nightmares in the coming days," former Morocco midfielder, Hassan Kachloul, said on Channel 4's coverage of the match.
Former Nigeria forward, Daniel Amokachi, added: "Brahim Diaz threw away all of his glorious moments, scoring five goals in this tournament."
Ex-Nigeria midfielder, Jon Obi Mikel, said the miss "spoils everything Brahim Diaz has done well in this tournament." "He is going to be devastated," he added. "This is going to be tough on him, for weeks, for months." Efan Ekoku, another former Nigeria international, said: "It is a moment Brahim Diaz will never get over."
In a post on social media on Monday, Diaz said his "heart aches" and it will be "hard to recover" from his penalty miss, while also thanking fans for messages of support. He added: "I take full responsibility and apologise from the bottom of my heart. I will keep going until one day I can repay all this love and be a source of pride for my Moroccan people."
When extra time started, there was another shock for the Moroccan fans, as Pape Gueye scored a brilliant winning goal for Senegal, one which would have been the memorable moment if the final hadn’t already descended into total disorder.
Senegal became champions of Africa for the second time. In football terms, they deserved it. However, the inquests into the final will mean the celebrations will be overshadowed by recriminations.
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, who was in attendance at the final, took to Instagram to condemn the "ugly scenes."
Infantino called it "unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner" and said that "violence cannot be tolerated in our sport," adding, “the decisions taken by the match officials must always be respected”.
The final is likely to bring severe disciplinary measures from the tournament’s governing body, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which has seen its big showpiece marred.
Moroccan coach, Walid Regragui, called the scenes "shameful" and added that they "do not honour Africa."
Strong measures are likely to be taken against Thiaw, whose media briefing had to be cancelled due to further unrest in the press room. He’s not the only one who will face scrutiny. Before the final, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) had voiced concerns over the security at the tournament, and said its players and staff were “at risk”. The FSF also raised concerns over the training pitch, hotel and ticket allocation for the final.
The officiating in the final drew plenty of criticism. While Congolese referee Ndala held his nerve under intense pressure when the Senegal players walked off, there is no escaping that his decision-making in stoppage time was puzzling.
Morocco coach Regragui had felt the need to publicly reject claims of favouritism towards the host nation that have hung around this AFCON, fuelled by Cameroon having two penalties rejected in Morocco’s quarter-final victory.
The conspiracy theories distracted from praise Morocco otherwise received as the host nation of the tournament; with Egypt and Liverpool superstar, Mohamed Salah, thanking organisers and saying: "I have never participated in a competition in Africa with such a high level of organisation."
This would've been the last thing on the mind of the tearful Moroccan fans leaving the stadium on Sunday night and those who had gathered across the country ready to celebrate. None of this was their fault and it was easy to feel sorry for them. The rain captured the moment. Hopes and dreams were doused. The wait to be champions would go on.
Right up until the carnage late in the final, it felt as though the prevailing narrative of AFCON 2025 would be about the improved standard of African football and whether top-tier African teams, not least Senegal and Morocco, can go deep at the FIFA World Cup in June. Maybe even create history.
After reaching the semi-finals in Qatar and with years of youth football investment still bearing fruit, underestimating Morocco’s potential to defeat the biggest football nations would be careless. The same applies to Senegal, whose players also light up European leagues while coming together as a formidable force when representing the Lions of Teranga.
In Rabat, the carelessness came from coaches, players and fans who dragged the ascending reputation of African football into the mud. Infantino has already made it clear that such scenes will not be tolerated in Africa or elsewhere.
The only man to have enhanced his reputation from the final fiasco is Senegal star, Sadio Mane, who appeared reluctant to leave the pitch and seemingly urged his team-mates to return. He also tried to calm the fury of Senegalese fans after the two controversial decisions.
Football fans everywhere should be celebrating the success of Senegal and the quality on display from both finalists. Instead, we’ll remember the dishonourable scenes in a country that co-hosts the World Cup in four years.
A Moroccan football supporter died on Sunday, 18 January 2026, in Kelaat Sraghna shortly after Morocco missed a late penalty during the 2025 AFCON final loss to Senegal. Local media reported that the man suffered a heart attack in his home while watching the game, passing away en route to the hospital despite urgent assistance from neighbours.
It’s over to CAF and its disciplinary arm, to have the final word on AFCON 2025. With its reputation severely damaged and the need to please FIFA, don’t be surprised if there is more drama to come.
CAF will review incidents from the final, with potential disciplinary consequences for players or technical staff. Sanctions can include fines or suspensions, which may hold significance as African teams prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification cycle.
The death in Kelaat Sraghna cast a sombre tone over celebrations and post-match reflections. The story spread quickly across Moroccan media platforms, prompting condolences and renewed conversations about health risks during high-intensity sporting moments.
The tragedy comes shortly after the death of Jean-Louis Gasset, former head coach of the Ivory Coast national team, who led the Elephants during the group stages of the 2023 AFCON. Gasset died on Friday, 26 December 2025, at the age of 72. He managed the Ivorian team between 2022 and 2024 and earned broad respect for his leadership and tactical insight.
Tragedy also struck the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as Burkina Faso midfielder, Stephane Aziz Ki, lost his young son during the tournament. The heartbreaking news was confirmed by his club in an official statement. Tributes have since poured in from clubs, team-mates and supporters across the football world.
Morocco have confirmed their intention to lodge a formal complaint with CAF and FIFA following the chaotic closing stages of AFCON 2025 final against Senegal in Rabat.
In a statement, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) said it would follow the prescribed legal procedures to challenge Senegal’s temporary withdrawal from the pitch and the disruption that followed the referee’s confirmation of a late penalty after a VAR review.
The federation believes the incident had a significant impact on the normal flow of the match and the psychological state of the players at a decisive moment.
The Senegalese behaviour is totally unforgivable. Just because you're not getting things in your favour, doesn't mean that they have the right to act like spoilt brats. I hope they get hit hard for their actions. Actions like the ones they displayed shouldn't be tolerated and accepted.
It's sad and unfortunate about the Moroccan fan. Sport has that kind of effect on people. It's a non-stop pulsating occasion. It shouldn't be watched by those who have serious health issues. As this illustrated, just about anything can happen. Emotions can rise extremely high whether you're getting excited or anger and sadness at a particular period of play.