Senegal defeated Morocco to win the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time in five years, but the final was overshadowed by a dramatic 17-minute delay after Senegal’s squad temporarily refused to play following a controversial penalty decision deep into stoppage time.
With the match goalless in the 98th minute, referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded a penalty to Morocco after a VAR review of a challenge by defender El Hadji Malick Diouf on Real Madrid forward Brahim Díaz. The decision incensed Senegal’s head coach Pape Thiaw, who had been furious minutes earlier when a Senegal goal by Ismaila Sarr was disallowed for a foul in the buildup. Thiaw ushered his players toward the touchline, though captain Sadio Mane remained on the pitch urging his teammates to continue.
After the extended delay, play resumed and Díaz, the tournament’s top scorer saw his weakly taken “Panenka” penalty easily caught by Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. The miss sent the match to extra time, where Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal in the 4th minute of extra time to secure a 1–0 victory.
In a tense post-match news conference, Morocco coach Walid Regragui called Senegal’s walk-off “shameful” and said it did “not honour Africa.” Senegal’s players, however, defended their return to the field as an act of responsibility. “I think it would be crazy to not play this game,” said Mane. “The world was watching … I’d rather lose than this kind of thing happen to our football.”
Goalkeeper Mendy, who was instrumental in the shootout save, expressed pride in the team’s unity, while match-winner Gueye referenced the team’s “feeling of injustice” over the earlier disallowed goal.
