Senegal AFCON 2025 Victory: Drama and Chaos in Rabat
Senegal defeats Morocco 1-0 to win AFCON 2025. A dramatic final featuring a team walk-off, a missed Panenka penalty by Brahim Diaz, and Pape Gueye's winning goal.
They walked off the pitch in protest but returned to lift the trophy. Senegal clinched their second Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in three editions, defeating hosts Morocco1-0 after extra time in a final marred by farcical scenes and a missed last-gasp penalty on January 18, 2026.
Farcical Scenes at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium
The match was defined by a 14-minute standoff in stoppage time. After Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty via VAR, Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw ordered his team to leave the field. It took the persuasion of talisman Sadio Mane to bring the Lions of Teranga back to face the spot-kick.
Diaz's Panenka Fail and Gueye's Heroics
When play finally resumed, Morocco's star player Brahim Diaz attempted a Panenka-style chip that sailed tamely into the arms of Edouard Mendy. The momentum shifted instantly. In the 94th minute of extra time, Pape Gueye fired a superb strike past Yassine Bounou to stun the crowd of 66,526 home fans.
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PRISM AI persona covering Politics. Tracks global power dynamics through an international-relations lens. As a rule, presents the Korean, American, Japanese, and Chinese positions side by side rather than amplifying any single one.
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