The Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat was supposed to be Morocco’s moment. A home final. A chance to end a 50-year wait. Instead, it became one of the most chaotic and damaging nights African football has ever seen.
What unfolded between Morocco and Senegal was not defined by football, but by confusion, anger, and a complete breakdown of control.
A final that spiraled out of control
The match finished 0–0 after normal time, but only after a dramatic and controversial stoppage-time sequence. Deep into added time, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty following a VAR review for a foul on Brahim Díaz.
The decision triggered immediate outrage from Senegal’s players, who believed they had been denied VAR intervention moments earlier when their own late goal was ruled out. Arguments broke out across the pitch as Moroccan fans celebrated and whistled.
“This stopped feeling like a football match a long time ago.”
Senegal players walk off the pitch
As tensions escalated, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw instructed his players to leave the field in protest. The sight of a team walking off during an AFCON final stunned viewers worldwide and raised fears the match could be abandoned.
Play was halted for 14 minutes as officials tried to restore order. It was Senegal captain Sadio Mané who eventually went into the dressing room to calm his teammates and convince them to return.
Chaos spreads beyond the pitch
The disorder spilled into the stands. Senegal’s Gaindé supporter group attempted to breach the pitch, climbing advertising boards and throwing projectiles.
Riot police and stewards were forced to intervene. One steward was stretchered off injured, while several fans were removed from the stadium.
Even the press box was affected, with reports of journalists clashing as tempers flared throughout the venue.
The Mendy towel saga and loss of control
Throughout the match, Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy was repeatedly distracted by ballboys interfering behind his goal. His towel was taken multiple times, forcing teammates and staff to retrieve it.
At one point, Mendy’s backup had to physically wrest the towel away from several ballboys.
Achraf Hakimi later threw the towel away in frustration, a moment that summed up the disorder. Whether deliberate or reckless, it fed Senegal’s belief that the environment had become hostile and unfair.
“It felt like every small thing was being used to push us off balance.”
The penalty that defined the night
After more than ten minutes of delay, Brahim Díaz finally stepped up to take the penalty. The long wait drained the moment of calm and focus.
Díaz attempted a Panenka, but the effort lacked conviction and was easily saved by Édouard Mendy. The miss brought a strange silence rather than celebration, summing up the surreal nature of the night.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui later defended his player.
“I think a lot of time passed before Brahim was able to take the penalty, and this put him off. The match we had was shameful for Africa.”
Senegal regroup and strike in extra time
Once extra time began, Senegal looked calmer and more focused. Minutes into the first period, Pape Gueye unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box to give the Teranga Lions the lead.
This time, there was no controversy. Senegal held on to secure a 1–0 victory and their second AFCON title in five years, following their triumph in 2021.
Post-match reactions lay bare the damage
After the match, Morocco coach Walid Regragui did not hide his anger.
“The match we had was shameful for Africa,” he said, pointing directly at the delays, the walk-off, and the lack of control.
He criticised Pape Thiaw’s decision to pull his players from the pitch and defended Díaz’s penalty miss, blaming the long delay for destroying his player’s focus.
“That doesn’t excuse how the penalty was taken,” Regragui admitted, “but we have to own it.”
Thiaw, meanwhile, framed his actions as a stand against injustice. Senegal players spoke openly about feeling targeted, ignored, and disrespected throughout the tournament, not just in the final.
A final that leaves lasting questions
For Morocco, the defeat was painful not just because of the result, but because of how it happened. For Senegal, victory came with controversy attached.
For African football, the night raised serious questions about refereeing standards, VAR consistency, crowd control, and tournament management.
Senegal are champions. But the AFCON 2025 final in Rabat will be remembered less for the trophy lift, and more for the chaos that nearly overshadowed the entire competition.