SENEGAL LIFTS THE AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TROPHY FOR THE SECOND TIME IN FOUR YEARS AFTER DEFEATING TOURNAMENT FAVOURITES ON THEIR HOME SOIL
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament was absolutely peak footy— the tournament spotlights all shining on Morocco as the favourites to win, despite having not lifted the trophy since 1976. Their home support, squad depth, and dominance in the group stage had made them clear favourites.
On Sunday, Jan 18th, a night whose fate was almost sealed, script written but unedited, and stars slightly misaligned for a Morocco win— it was the Teranga Lions of Senegal who earned the AFCON spotlights as they defeated the hosts Morocco 1-0 in extra time.
The 1-0 score line does absolutely no justice to the insurmountable drama that occurred on the pitch. Early on in the fifth minute of the final, Senegal’s rising star Pape Gueye got a beautiful header off at the back post, but Morocco’s superstar keeper Yassine Bounou kept the game scoreless.
In the following ten minutes, Morocco’s midfielder Ismael Saibari had two fantastic opportunities, but could not find the net even if his life depended on it, missing horribly wide on both chances.
With a few minutes left in the half, Senegal’s striker Iliman Ndiaye was one-on-one with Bounou, but the low driven shot was miraculously saved with an outstretched leg, keeping the game scoreless going into the second half.
After an eventful but scoreless second half, the back of the net would be found for the first time from Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr, the goal would be called back after a foul.
A corner in the 94th minute of regulation time, chaos ensued for the next 20 minutes after El Hadji Malick Diouf fouled Morocco’s star Brahim Diaz inside the box, granting him a penalty and a chance to win the African Cup of Nations. Senegal was absolutely furious with the call, as Moroccan fans erupted with joy in the crowd—fights between players, fans, and even towel boys stealing Édouard Mendy’s goalie towel broke out. The Senegal squad, directed by the outraged head coach, Pape Thiaw, exited the pitch in protest of the penalty decision.
Returning to the pitch thanks to the most civil footballer to walk the earth, Sadio Mané led his team back out, finally ready to face the anxiously waiting Diaz in the 23rd minute of injury time.
What followed from Brahim Diaz might have been one of the worst Panenka penalty attempts of all time, leading the ball straight into the hands of Mendy, sending the game into extra time.
Three minutes into overtime, Gueye received the ball just past the halfway line, going on a run deep into Morocco territory, taking an off-balance shot while falling, hitting it top right against Bounou, giving Senegal the lead. A goal that would tear the AFCON script into pieces, for all the glory and a nation on his back, a hero in the making.
