Senegal wins AFCON 2025 after beating Morocco in chaotic final

Senegal stunned Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday as Pape Gueye’s goal gave the country a 1-0 victory over the hosts at the end of a match marred by disgraceful scenes following a controversial penalty.

Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco when he took the penalty in the 24th extra minute at the end of normal time.

But Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the Real Madrid winger’s weak chip attempt, who was clearly distracted by the long delay of almost 20 minutes that followed the penalty.

Congolese match referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded the penalty at the end of the allotted eight extra minutes following a VAR check for a challenge on Diaz in the penalty area by Senegalese defender El Hadji Malick Diouf.

Diaz, the rest of the Moroccan team and the bench protested vehemently to the referee to check the footage, but the decision to ultimately award the penalty was met with anger by Senegal and its fans.

As most players left the field, some Senegal supporters in the small away fans’ section on the other side of the stadium threw chairs and other objects and tried to enter the playing field.

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Eventually they were surrounded by a large barrier of police and stewards, and their anger turned to joy and disbelief as they were spared the punishment.

The Senegal team was initially angered by the referee’s decision to disallow a goal it scored in the second extra minute due to a foul, when Abdoulaye Seck headed off the post on a corner kick and Ismaila Sarr nodded in the rebound.

After Diaz’s penalty miss, however, it felt almost inevitable that a galvanized Senegal would score, and they did so in the fourth minute of extra time to stun the home fans in the 66,526 crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

Gueye the hero

Sadio Mane won possession in midfield and found Idrissa Gana Gueye, who released his namesake Pape Gueye.

The Villarreal midfielder held off retreating Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi as he advanced towards the penalty area before beating goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with a brilliant strike into the top corner.

Morocco were desperate, especially Diaz, who was promptly substituted.

It still could have forced a penalty shootout, with Nayef Aguerd heading against the crossbar in the second half of extra time.

But it was not to be that the host, who dreamed of winning the title in front of his own fans, would end a 50-year wait to become African champions for a second time.

Senegal could have felt more at ease had Cherif Ndiaye not squandered a glorious chance to make it 2-0 late in extra time but held on.

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It is Senegal’s second Cup of Nations title in the past three editions, after the country defeated Egypt on penalties in Yaounde in 2022 to win the trophy for the first time in its history.

They can now look forward to heading to the United States for the World Cup in June, and will hope to convince star man Mane to play at another AFCON after declaring the final would be his last ever match at the tournament.

Any investigation into the shameful scenes during the match will focus on the behavior of the Senegalese team and its fans, as well as any shortcomings by the Moroccan organizers.

The incidents occurred at the end of a tense final in which few goals had been scored – hardly surprising given the defensive strength of Africa’s best teams according to the FIFA rankings.

Senegal’s Iliman Ndiaye was denied by Bounou when he had the best chance in the first half, while Morocco should have scored just before the hour mark, but Ayoub El Kaabi poked wide from Bilal El Khannouss’ cross.

Then came the late drama, with Senegal surviving the penalty before Gueye became his hero. Remarkably, that was the first goal the Lions of Teranga scored in an AFCON final after failing to find the net in any of their three previous appearances in the tournament’s deciding match.

It was a painful way to end Morocco’s season, with many fans having left the stadium before the final whistle on a cold and wet night in Rabat.

Published on January 19, 2026