Khaberni - The course of events in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament turned dramatically on Sunday when Senegal's players were about to leave the field in protest against a penalty awarded in the last seconds of regular time to their opponents, before Morocco missed the penalty and "The Teranga Lions" claimed the title in extra time.
About twenty minutes after the chaos, Brahim Diaz executed a very weak "Panenka" straight into the arms of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, with the Real Madrid player sparking this dramatic scenario that disrupted the "CAN 2025" final.
Diaz, the star of Morocco by scoring in every game up to the quarter-finals, loudly demanded a penalty after a clash with Haj Malick Diouf in the final seconds of regular time.
The Senegalese defender grabbed his neck, before the tournament's top scorer fell to the ground. He then protested to the assistant referee and the chief referee calling for the use of the Video Assistant Referee.
Amidst the roar of the stands at the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat, Congolese referee Jean Jacques Ndala Ngambo, surrounded by security forces and under pressure from both teams, went to the video screen himself. He determined that there was indeed a foul, and ordered the penalty amidst tremendous uproar. That was enough to ignite the rage of the Senegalese.
Just two minutes before, the referee had disallowed a goal by Senegal due to a foul committed by Abdoulaye Seck on Achraf Hakimi, without intervention from the Video Assistant Referee (90+2).
In a tournament preceded by repeated allegations of favoritism towards the host country, "The Fuming Teranga Lions," led by their coach Bab Tiao, started leaving the pitch.
However, their captain Sadio Mane appeared opposed to this move. He was seen in lengthy discussions on the sidelines with Morocco's coach Walid Regragui and former Senegal coach (1988-1992) Claude Le Roy, who was present as a TV analyst, before asking his teammates to return.
The "Blonde Wizard" told “Agence France-Presse”: Sadio came to ask me what I would have done if I were in his place? I simply told him: I would ask my teammates to return.
Mane, the champion of the 2022 title and the scorer of the winning goal in the semi-final against Egypt (1-0), was seen sprinting to bring back his teammates who had already entered the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms.
Security forces established a barrier under the green, yellow, and red stand, home to the fans of "The Lions," notably the "Les Deuxième Génération" group (Génération means lion in Wolof), some of whose bodies were painted in national colors.
Chairs were thrown onto the pitch, and some fans attempted to storm the field.
Senegal fans tried to storm the field
And via the PA system, the stadium announcer made a call in French and then in English: We ask the fans to remain calm so we can resume the game.
In the media stand, physical altercations broke out between representatives of Moroccan and Senegalese media, as observed by journalists from “Agence France-Presse”. Amidst this massive chaos, Brahim Diaz took the penalty, but the championship's top scorer (five goals) failed miserably in his weak attempt. The game indeed flipped on protest that will certainly be recorded in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations.
