Chaotic! Dramatic! Senegal Defeat Morocco To Win 2025 AFCON

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final was not short of drama as host country Morocco went head to head with Senegal.

In what will be considered as one of the most chaotic finals in the history of the tournament, the match ended 0-0 in normal time as Senegal players walk off the field when host Morocco was awarded a stoppage-time penalty.

Senegal would go on to win the game 1-0 in extra time to lift their second AFCON title and second in five years after winning it in 2021.

While there are lots of controversial decisions made by the referee, Senegal coach Pape Thiaw led his team off the field when a VAR call handed Morocco a late penalty.

Morocco’s forward #10 Brahim Diaz misses a penalty in front of Senegal’s goalkeeper #16 Edouard Mendy during the Africa Cup of Nations final. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

Referee Jean-Jacques Ndala’s VAR decision on Diaz led to a melee between the two sets of technical teams and players, which bled into the terraces. Senegal’s Gaindé supporter group appeared to start jumping over the hoardings and onto the field in order to confront the officials and Moroccan delegation.

The Senegal players eventually returned following 14 minutes’ delay in play after talisman Sadio Mane went into the locker room to encourage them to come back into the match.

Diaz eventually stepped up to take the spot kick, but lacked all conviction and his disastrous panenka attempt was easily gathered by the Senegal goalkeeper.

Minutes into the first extra-time period, Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored a stunning goal from just outside the area to give his side a lead it would not relinquish.

Senegal’s midfielder #26 Pape Gueye celebrates after the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) final. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

After the match, Morocco coach Regragui was critical of Thiaw’s decision to pull his team from the field and defended Diaz on his missed penalty.

“I think a lot of time passed before [Brahim] was able to take the penalty, and this put him off,” Regragui said. “The match we had was shameful for Africa.

“When a head coach asks his players to leave the pitch, when he’s saying things that already started in the press conference [before the match, when Senegal accused Morocco of unsporting tactics]…he needs to stay class, in victory as well as in defeat.

“What Pape [Thiaw] did tonight doesn’t honor Africa. He’s an African champion now, so he can say what he wants, but they stopped the match for over 10 minutes.

“That doesn’t excuse Brahim for the way he hit [the penalty], he hit it like that and we have to own it. We need to look forward now, and accept that Brahim missed it.”