Senegal Stun Morocco in AFCON Final to Win Second Title

The AFCON 2025 final will be remembered for much more than its scoreline. On 18 January 2026, in front of 66,526 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Senegal beat hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time to win their second Africa Cup of Nations title. Between the first whistle and the trophy lift came a disallowed goal, a stoppage-time penalty, a 14-minute walk-off and one of the most talked-about Panenka misses in African football history.

Pape Gueye’s extra-time strike settled it. The bigger story is how close the final came to not finishing at all.

A Tight, Nervy 90 Minutes

For most of normal time it was the cagey final everyone expected. Senegal had the better of the first half and twice tested Yassine Bounou. Gueye’s early header was clawed off the line, and Iliman Ndiaye’s low drive was turned away by Bounou’s outstretched leg. Morocco struggled to get Brahim Díaz and Ismaël Saibari involved and grew into the game only after the break. Ayoub El Kaabi wasted their best chance of normal time.

Stoppage-Time Chaos in Rabat

Then the final changed completely. Deep into added time, Senegal thought they had won it when Ismaila Sarr finished a rebound, but referee Jean-Jacques Ndala ruled it out for a foul. Minutes later, El Hadji Malick Diouf pulled down Díaz in the box and, after a VAR review, Morocco were given a penalty.

Senegal coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players off the pitch in protest, and the final was held up for 14 minutes. It was Sadio Mané who walked back out and persuaded his teammates to return and finish the match.

Díaz, the tournament’s top scorer, stepped up and tried a Panenka. Édouard Mendy didn’t move, and the chip dropped straight into his arms.

Gueye’s Winner and a Second Star

Morocco never recovered from the miss. Four minutes into extra time, Gueye drove a left-footed shot into the top corner to put Senegal ahead. Nayef Aguerd headed against the crossbar late on, but that was as close as the hosts came.

“The Senegal national team now has a second star,” Gueye said afterwards (CAF). The win adds to Senegal’s title from the 2021 edition. Morocco’s wait for a second crown, their first since 1976, goes on.

Why the AFCON 2025 Final Still Matters

Months later, this final is remembered less for Gueye’s goal than for what it said about the people involved.

Sadio Mané, the peacemaker. With his coach sending the team off, Senegal’s most decorated player chose to finish the game, and with it the tournament. He was named Player of the Tournament, and that one decision in the final said as much about him as his performances did.

 

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Brahim Díaz, from hero to heartbreak. Díaz won the Golden Boot with five goals and was the face of Morocco’s home tournament. He left the final in tears. Former Morocco captain Romain Saïss summed it up: “He could have been the hero, but he wanted to be the superhero” (Flashscore).

Yassine Bounou, still elite. Morocco’s goalkeeper kept them in the final for 90 minutes and was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

The Aftermath: CAF Sanctions

The fallout didn’t end on the night. On 29 January, CAF rejected Morocco’s protest against the result and sanctioned both federations (AllAfrica):

• Senegal: coach Pape Thiaw banned for five CAF matches and fined $100,000; Ismaila Sarr and Cheikh Ndiaye banned for two matches each; the federation fined $600,000.
• Morocco: Ismaël Saibari banned for three matches and fined $100,000; captain Achraf Hakimi banned for two matches; the federation fined $315,000, including penalties for ball-boy misconduct and fans using lasers.

AFCON 2025 Final: Match Facts

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Sources: CAF, Al Jazeera, Sports Mole, AllAfrica.