20/01/2026

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TUESDAY | JAN 20, 2026

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Final chaos Senegal stun hosts Morocco to win Afcon title after walk-off protest

Pape Gueye celebrates after scoring the winning goal

yesterday. – AFPPIC

S ENEGAL stunned Morocco in yesterday’s Africa Cup of Nations final as Pape Gueye’s extra-time goal gave them a 1-0 win over the hosts after a chaotic end to the match marred by the eventual champions storming off the pitch in a lengthy protest follow ing a controversial late penalty award. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco when he

end a 50-year wait to become African champions for just the sec ond time. Senegal held on, and it is their second Cup of Nations title in the last three editions, after they defeated Egypt on penalties in Yaounde in 2022 to win the trophy for the very first time. Morocco coach Walid Regragui said: “Congratulations to Senegal… but the image we gave of African football was rather shameful. “Having to stop the game for more than 10 minutes with the world watching is not very classy. “Football sometimes is cruel and today we lost – we know in a final that you get few chances and you need to take them,” added Regragui, who played in the last Moroccan team to reach the final, when they lost to Tunisia in 2004. “That penalty in the last sec onds could have won us the title, but it was not to be. We could talk for hours but I hope this squad comes back stronger. “Now we know what it takes to get to a final – we hadn’t reached one for 22 years. “We have missed the chance of a life time.” – AFP

large barrier of police and stewards, and their anger turned to

followed the penalty award.

“We gave everything. We didn’t cheat,” match-winner Gueye told French broadcaster M6 . “It was a really difficult match but we were determined to win here. “This is a beautiful country and they have incredible supporters. Senegal are champions of Africa and we are very happy.” Congolese match referee Jean Jacques Ndala gave the penalty right at the end of the allotted eight added minutes following a VAR check for a challenge on Diaz in the box by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf. Diaz, the rest of the Moroccan team and their bench vehemently protested to the referee to check the images, but the decision to eventu ally give the spot-kick was met with fury by Senegal and their fans. As most of their players walked off the pitch, some Senegal support ers in the small section of away fans at the opposite end of the stadium threw chairs and other objects and attempted to get onto the field of play. T h e y

delight and disbelief when the penalty was saved after the game restarted. The Senegal team had initially been riled by the referee’s decision to disallow a goal scored by Ismaila Sarr in the second added minute. After Diaz’s penalty miss, how ever, it felt almost inevitable that a galvanised Senegal would go on to score, and they did so in the fourth minute of extra-time to stun the home fans in the crowd of 66,526 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Sadio Mane won possession in midfield and found Idrissa Gana Gueye, who released his namesake Pape Gueye. The Villarreal midfielder held off Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi as he advanced towards the box before beating goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with a superb strike into the top cor ner, leaving the hosts distraught. They could still have forced a penalty shoot-out, with Nayef Aguerd heading against the cross bar in the second half of extra-time. But it was not to be for Morocco, who had been dreaming of winning the title in front of their own fans to

stepped up to take the spot-kick in the 24th a d d e d minute of added time at

the end of the initial 90 minutes as ugly scenes broke out in the crowd and press box. But Senegal goal keeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long d e l a y that

were even tually con tained by a

Morocco’s Brahim Diaz looks dejected after losing the Afcon final, having failed to convert the penalty. – AFPPIC

Senegal’s Sadio Mane (top) lifts the trophy alongside teammates after their victory over Morocco in the Afcon final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

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