Senegal 1-0 Morocco

Senegal stun Morocco to win Africa Cup of Nations after Brahim penalty drama

Morocco lost the Africa Cup of Nations final at home after Senegal threatened to walk off in protest over a penalty that Brahim missed deep into stoppage time with a Panenka attempt. Pape Gueye sealed it in extra time.

FRANCK FIFE

Aritz Gabilondo David Nelson

Rabat (Marruecos) Update: Jan 18th, 2026 17:58 EST

An embarrassment. A scandal. A nightmare for Morocco and for Brahim Díaz, a stunning feat for Senegal and Sadio Mané. A final that will be remembered for everything, but above all for Senegal’s refusal to play for more than 20 minutes after the referee awarded a highly debatable penalty in added time.

A massive melee broke out, visiting fans spilled onto the pitch, and only Mané’s composure, forcing his teammates to return to the field despite their coach’s orders, prevented the farce from going even further. The tension only intensified when Brahim missed the disputed penalty with a Panenka, sending the match to extra time. There, Senegal delivered the decisive blow, to local devastation and Senegalese euphoria. One champion and one loser, both in different ways part of a shameful episode.

Before the chaos, Yassine Bounou had been the hero for Morocco. Two early saves, the second miraculous, showed why his move from Sevilla and Europe was driven by the financial rewards on offer in Saudi Arabia rather than sporting reasons. First he denied Gueye near the start, a moment with major implications, and then he produced a stunning stop from Iliman Ndiaye, an impenetrable wall that kept Morocco alive. His outstretched foot to deny the Everton winger was Casillas-like, a miracle from another saint. Africa’s saint, and arguably the continent’s best goalkeeper right now.

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It took Morocco an hour to truly enter the final. That changed when Achraf Hakimi and Brahim began to connect. Until then, all the danger had come from the elusive Abde Ezzalzouli. Suddenly, Senegal’s goal began to feel under threat. The hosts had two clear chances, mainly through Ayoub El Kaabi and Abde, but the script pointed toward another agonizing Moroccan finish. That sense deepened when Neil El Aynaoui, the team’s excellent holding midfielder throughout the tournament, took a heavy blow and required lengthy treatment to his head.

Senegal stun Morocco to win Africa Cup of Nations after Brahim penalty drama — Siphiwe Sibeko

The end of regulation was sheer madness. The conclusion was something else entirely. The Congolese referee, who had little to do until then, stepped into the storm by awarding a penalty for a pull on Brahim after a VAR review, shortly after he had disallowed a Senegal goal for a foul on Hakimi. The home crowd celebrated as if justice had been served, but the roughly 3,000 Senegal supporters threatened to invade the pitch, and coach Pape Thiaw ordered his team off the field.

Back on the pitch

Only Mané’s calm, staying on the grass with several teammates, allowed reason to prevail despite clashes and arrests behind the opposite goal. When play finally resumed, Brahim chose a Panenka to settle the chaos, and Edouard Mendy read it perfectly. A moment of frivolity that sent the match to extra time and the finale toward the absurd.

The drama escalated further when, early in extra time, Gueye produced a stunning strike to finally beat Bounou. Morocco suddenly found themselves far away after being so close, especially Brahim, who was substituted to angry whistles. Morocco had a chance to equalize and Senegal to add another, but the scoreline did not move in a historic match. A day to remember. The final Senegal once threatened to abandon, and that ultimately crowned them champions of Africa.

Senegal stun Morocco to win Africa Cup of Nations after Brahim penalty drama

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Back on the pitch

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