Pape Gueye’s extra-time goal secured Senegal’s second Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title after a tumultuous end to normal time, during which the West African team walked off the pitch and Brahim Diaz missed a penalty for Morocco in the 24th minute of injury time.
The lengthy delay followed the penalty awarded through video assistant referee (VAR) intervention, leading to tension on the sidelines and among fans, as Senegal supporters clashed with security while attempting to access the pitch.
After a prolonged wait, Diaz faced immense pressure to convert the penalty, aiming to end Morocco’s 50-year quest for the AFCON trophy. However, his decision to chip the ball down the middle failed as Edouard Mendy easily collected it.
Despite a match largely lacking clear scoring opportunities, the unsavory scenes at the end poorly represented African football, especially with Morocco promoting the tournament as a precursor for co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Following Gueye’s strike four minutes into extra time, both teams created chances, but the closest Morocco came to equalizing was Nayef Aguerd’s powerful header that hit the bar from a corner.
As rain fell in Rabat, Morocco’s aspiration for a first continental title since 1976 faded dramatically.
Senegal celebrated their victory, having snatched it from the brink of defeat, yet the sight of players separated from their supporters by police in riot gear highlighted the game’s chaotic conclusion.
After claiming their first title by defeating Egypt on penalties in the 2021 edition, many key players returned, including Sadio Mane, who indicated this might be his final AFCON appearance.
This time, the Teranga Lions faced the hosts in the charged atmosphere of the impressive Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
In their first finals encounter, Morocco controlled the first half, but Senegal had the better chances.
Yassine Bounou made a crucial save to deny Gueye’s goal-bound header from a corner, and also blocked Iliman Ndiaye with a trailing leg.
The second half saw Morocco gain momentum, pinning back their opponents but struggling to create clear opportunities.
The Atlas Lions were fortunate at the start of injury time when Ismaila Sarr’s nod into the net was disallowed due to a soft foul called against Abdoulaye Seck for contact with Morocco’s captain, Achraf Hakimi.
The dramatic moments escalated when, after eight minutes of stoppage time, VAR prompted referee Jean Jacques Ndala to review a foul by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Diaz during a corner, leading to the penalty award.
What began as protests from Senegalese players rapidly escalated into chaos, with both benches emptying onto the pitch.
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw called his players into the tunnel amidst the turmoil, while some West African fans attempted to breach the playing surface.
After a lengthy delay, the teams returned to the pitch, and Diaz finally took his penalty, which should have been a celebratory moment for Morocco. However, he attempted a Panenka, leading to an unforgettable failure as Mendy easily saved it.
Morocco, ranked as Africa’s top team, entered the tournament with high expectations for success.
King Mohammed VI has invested significantly in football over the past decade, using it as a means for societal change, culminating in the Atlas Lions becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final in Qatar 2022.
This AFCON was meant to be their crowning achievement, ending a trophy drought that began in 1976.
Instead, they became only the fourth host nation to lose in a final, following a streak where the past 12 hosts had emerged as champions.
The heart-wrenching moment came from Villarreal’s Gueye, who charged forward from inside the Moroccan half, shrugged off a challenge from Hakimi, and scored with a powerful left-footed shot that clipped the underside of the bar.
Morocco attempted to respond, with substitute Youssef En-Nesyri heading wide shortly after Gueye’s goal and Aguerd’s header hitting the bar in the second half of extra time.
Senegal also sought to extend their lead, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Ibrahim Mbaye having his shot blocked by Hakimi and Cherif Ndiaye thwarted by a remarkable double save from Bounou.
At the other end, Mendy faced objects thrown by fans behind his goal, with one invader reaching the pitch before security intervened.
The discussions surrounding the game’s conclusion will continue, but Senegal is unlikely to be concerned.
If this marks Mane’s final AFCON, he exited in style, celebrated by teammates as they lifted him onto their shoulders with the trophy in hand and the captain’s armband presented to him, an image that will endure.
