By Edi Umoh
Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sank hosts Morocco 1-0, capping a chaotic final in which the eventual champions stormed off the pitch late in the game.
Senegal won their first Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in 2021.
Brahim Diaz had the chance to win the trophy for Morocco on Sunday with a controversial penalty in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time.
However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy comfortably saved the weak attempted “Panenka” by the Real Madrid winger, who appeared clearly unsettled by the long delay that followed the award of the spot-kick.
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The match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium then went to extra time, and Gueye’s brilliant 94th-minute strike secured the title for Senegal.
The contentious penalty had been awarded by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala at the very end of the allotted eight minutes of stoppage time, following a VAR review of a challenge on Diaz by El Hadji Malick Diouf.
The Moroccan players vehemently appealed to the referee to check the replays, but the eventual decision to give the penalty was met with fury by Senegal and their supporters.
Senegal had already been angered by the referee’s earlier decision to disallow a goal by Ismaila Sarr for a foul in the second minute of added time.
Diaz’s penalty miss clearly galvanised Senegal, and they struck in the fourth minute of extra time to silence a crowd of 66,526.
It is Senegal’s second AFCON title in the last three editions, after they defeated Egypt on penalties in Yaounde in 2022 to lift the trophy for the first time.
They can now turn their attention to the World Cup and will hope to persuade star man Mane to play in another AFCON, after he declared that this final would be his last game at the tournament.
For Morocco, it was an agonising conclusion, and many of their fans left the stadium before the final whistle on a cold, wet night.
