Senegal stunned 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosts Morocco in the final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday night, clinching a 1-0 victory after extra time to capture their second continental crown. The decisive moment came four minutes into the added period when Pape Gueye struck the winning goal. Yet the match will be remembered just as much for its dramatic close to regulation time: Morocco were awarded a contentious penalty, prompting Senegal to briefly threaten a walk-off, only to return and watch tournament standout Brahim Diaz miss the spot kick in extraordinary fashion.
Senegal had signaled their intent early, with Gueye heading goalward from a corner in the fifth minute, only for Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to produce a sharp save and keep the score level. The West Africans enjoyed a lot of possession through the first half, effectively quieting the home crowd and frustrating their opponents. They had a great scoring opportunity in the 38th minute when Iliman Ndiaye went free down the right of the attack and sent a low shot toward the bottom corner of the net, but Bounou made an amazing save with his outstretched right leg to deflect the ball away for a corner kick.
Morocco, meanwhile, struggled to bring the likes of Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari into the game, and their only real chance of the first half came in the 41st minute when Abde Ezzalzouli found Nayef Aguerd with a cross from the left, but the defender was unable to direct a header on target. However, the Atlas Lions played with more intent and intensity in the second stanza and should have gone ahead just before the hour mark when Bilal El Khannouss played in a superb cross from the right to pick out Ayoub El Kaabi, but the striker directed his shot wide when it seemed easier to score.
Senegal gradually reclaimed control in the latter stages of the second half, with substitute Ibrahim Mbaye drawing a fine save from Bounou with a shot from the edge of the penalty area in the final minute of regulation time, before the West Africans hit the back of the net after a corner kick but had the effort ruled out for a foul by Abdoulaye Seck.
Extra time looked certain, but in the eighth minute of stoppage time, Brahim Diaz was hauled down by Malick Diouf inside the box during a corner. After a VAR review, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty. Outraged that their earlier goal had been disallowed and the spot kick given soon after, Senegal briefly threatened to abandon the match. Heated exchanges between players, officials, and technical staff delayed the restart until Sadio Mane stepped in, urging his teammates to continue.
Diaz took responsibility for the penalty and attempted a Panenka, but Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy held his ground in the center of the goal and made a simple save—an extraordinary and surreal end to regulation time, which stretched 25 minutes beyond the scheduled 90. The miss appeared to shatter Morocco’s composure, and just four minutes into extra time, Pape Gueye unleashed a powerful left-footed strike off the underside of the crossbar to give Senegal the decisive lead.
The host nation roused themselves in the second half of extra time and almost levelled in the 108th minute via Aguerd, who hit the crossbar with a header from a corner kick. Yet that was as close as Morocco came to getting back into the game, with Senegal able to see out the remainder of extra time and secure a bizarre triumph.
Source: AFP
