A final that exploded into controversy
Rabat’s Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah was meant to host a coronation; instead it staged a drama that will echo through African football. Senegal clinched a 1-0 victory in stoppage time, Pape Gueye’s 94th-minute strike sealing their second Africa Cup of Nations crown, but the result was overshadowed by a tumultuous finish that has left Morocco demanding answers.
The moment that ignited the storm
The flashpoint arrived late: after a VAR review, referee awarded Morocco a penalty for a pull on Brahim Díaz during a corner. In a dramatic show of dissent, most of Senegal’s players—under instructions from coach Pape Thiaw—staged a walk-off, forcing a 15-minute halt to the match. When play resumed, Díaz stepped up and attempted a Panenka that misfired spectacularly; Gueye would later punish that miss with the decisive goal.
Morocco lodges formal challenge
Furious and convinced the walk-off altered the course of the game, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation announced it will pursue legal action with CAF and FIFA. The federation’s statement argued the Senegalese exit “had a significant impact on the normal course of the match and on the players’ performance,” and asked governing bodies to rule on both the walk-off and the surrounding events.
Voices from the touchline and beyond
Morocco coach Walid Regragui did not mince words, condemning the walk-off and lamenting the image it projected of African football: “The image we’ve given of Africa is shameful.” Thiaw later expressed regret, telling beIN Sports that emotions ran high and apologizing for the decision to leave the pitch: “We accept the errors of the referee. We shouldn’t have done it but it’s done and now we present our apologies to football.”
Players left to pick up the pieces
Brahim Díaz, the man whose missed penalty became the match’s fulcrum, issued a raw apology, saying the failure “left my soul hurting.” For a player who dreamed of lifting the trophy on home soil, the personal cost of those final minutes is painfully clear.
Governing bodies weigh in
CAF described the walk-off as “unacceptable” and “inappropriate,” announcing a review of all footage and a referral to competent bodies for possible sanctions. FIFA president Gianni Infantino also condemned the conduct of some players, staff and supporters, stressing that abandoning the field and any form of violence cannot be tolerated and that match officials’ decisions must be respected.
Small details, big symbolism
Even peripheral footage added to the sense of chaos: ballboys were seen tussling over a towel the Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvan Diouf tried to hand to Édouard Mendy in the wet conditions, and a Morocco substitute appeared to block the gesture. Those images, minor in isolation, fed into a larger narrative of a final that spiraled far beyond the ninety minutes.
What comes next
With legal challenges looming and disciplinary reviews underway, the fallout from Rabat’s explosive finale is only beginning. The trophy has been lifted, but the questions raised by that 15-minute walk-off will keep this final in the headlines long after the celebrations and the heartbreak have faded.
