Senegal beat Morocco in chaotic AFCON final

Sadio Mane hold up the AFCON cup after defeating host country Morocco

Senegal were crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions after a tense and chaotic 1–0 victory over hosts Morocco, decided by Pape Gueye’s stunning extra-time goal in a final that will be remembered for controversy, drama and raw emotion.

The decisive moment came four minutes into extra time at a rain-soaked Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, when Gueye burst forward, collected a pass from Idrissa Gana Gueye and powered a left-footed strike beyond Yassine Bounou to send Senegal’s players and supporters into raptures.

The goal silenced a partisan crowd of over 66,000 and sealed Senegal’s second AFCON title in three tournaments.

The final had been pushed into extra time following an extraordinary end to regulation play.

Deep into stoppage time, Moroccan winger Brahim Díaz was awarded a penalty after a VAR review of a challenge by El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The decision sparked chaos, with Senegal’s players briefly walking off the pitch in protest before being persuaded to return.

When play resumed, Díaz attempted a cheeky panenka, but Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy stood his ground and calmly gathered the weak effort, a miss that proved to be the turning point of the match.

Earlier, Senegal had already felt hard done by after Ismaila Sarr saw a late goal ruled out for a foul, further fuelling their frustration with the officiating.

Rather than breaking them, the drama appeared to galvanise the Teranga Lions.

After the final whistle, Senegal’s players sprinted away in celebration, while Moroccan players collapsed to the turf, devastated by another near miss on home soil.

“The players deserve credit. It was an objective we set for ourselves, one we wanted to achieve, especially this year,” said Senegal coach Pape Thiaw.

“We prepared well to come and win this trophy. We knew it was going to be difficult, and we really suffered, but we showed character and resilience. It paid off.”

Sadio Mané, who played a crucial leadership role on the night, revealed just how much the final meant to him.

“Today was the match where I had to give everything,” he said. “There were no excuses. I told myself that this match could be my last in the AFCON. There was no tomorrow. It was today.”

Thiaw later admitted that Senegal’s brief walk-off was a mistake made in the heat of the moment.

“We shouldn’t have reacted like that, but it’s done. We apologise to football,” he said. “We accept the referee’s mistakes; it can happen.”

Mané echoed a similar sentiment regarding the penalty decision.

“Personally, I don’t think it was a penalty. But if the referee decides, you have to respect it,” he explained. “In the end, we stayed, we fought, and we were rewarded.”

The victory confirms Senegal as the dominant force in African football, having now lifted two of the last three AFCON trophies, following their maiden triumph in 2022 against Egypt.

For Morocco, the defeat was another painful chapter in a long continental drought.

Their wait for a first AFCON title since 1976 continues, and many fans left the stadium before the final whistle on a cold, wet night. Head coach Walid Regragui refused to be drawn on his future after the match.

“We lost on the details,” he said. “When you miss a penalty, everything turns against you. It’s unfortunate for the Moroccan people, but we’ll come back stronger.”

As Senegal turn their focus to upcoming global competitions, their dramatic triumph in Rabat will go down as one of the most memorable AFCON finals in recent history.