Senegal are the AFCON 2025 champions after beating hosts Morocco 1-0 in extra time after storming the pitch before the Atlas Lions missed an injury-time penalty.
Pape Gueye’s stunning goal in extra time wins it for Senegal!
The win means that Senegal has now beaten Morocco for a second time in the African Cup of Nations – but only after the final was overshadowed when they temporarily refused to play when the hosts were awarded a controversial stoppage time penalty with the match goalless.
Senegal are now two-time AFCON champions, after their maiden victory in 2021.
Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw tried to usher his team off the field in the 98th minute when the hosts were awarded a spot-kick when defender El Hadji Malick Diouf brought down Brahim Diaz.
The Real Madrid forward stepped up to take the penalty when the players returned to the field but had his attempted Panenka penalty saved.
Thiaw, 44, was irritated with referee Jean Jacques Ndala—who awarded the penalty after reviewing the incident on the VAR monitor—for ruling out a goal for his side moments earlier.
Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr had bundled home from close range, but his effort was chalked off after a foul from Abdoulaye Seck on Achraf Hakimi.
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy went to the dressing room but returned to the field with Sadio Mane trying to encourage his players to finish the game.
Ndala blew the full-time whistle immediately after, and Senegal opened the scoring through Pape Gueye four minutes into extra time.
‘Little positive to say, but Mane comes out of this well’
There is very little positive to say about the end of this game, but one person to come out of it well is Mane.
He was the one Senegal player who clearly did not want to walk down the tunnel and was telling his team-mates to come back out.
He also walked over to the Senegal fans after the full-time whistle, begging them to calm down.
There is now a line of armoured police in front of those fans to my left. It’s been quite violent down there on several occasions.
Hassan Kachloul, a former Morocco international, had some kind words for Sadio Mane. He said, ” What I like more than anything the only player from the Senegalese team was Sadio Mane. That shows the great man he is. He went back to the dressing room and brought those players back. African football was losing, and world football was losing. Sadio Mane was the man to bring them back on.”
This game was about Sadio Mane ten times plus. I was watching the whole drama with a abunch of kids who love football. They were in my house so I give them snacks and we were just laughing and enjoying the game.
Then it goes to overtime and the game is tied to the last minute. Morocco gets the penalty and the kids scream that it is a favour to Morocco. That was fine with me because I watch these chaps play football and they fight more than they play.
All of a sudden it was total chaos as Senegal players stormed off the field. I supported them for walking out. The kids said they should come back and play. It was one second left and a penalty for Morocco so they score and it is game over.
Mane goes out there yelling at Senegalese players to come back and they respect him enough to do just that.
In comes Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, one of my favourite football players since he helped Chelsea win the UEFA championship trophy in 2021.
What does Edouard Mendy do? He picks up the penalty kick from Morocco as if it was a toy thrown to him. What does Sadio Mane do? He scores the winning goal. Oh for God’s sake that was a heck of a game.
