The final of the 2025 AFCON between Senegal and Morocco descended into total chaos. A summary of an evening that will be remembered… not for the right reasons.
In stoppage time, a goal by Ismaïla Sarr was disallowed for Senegal due to a foul deemed very minor, before a penalty was awarded to Morocco after VAR intervention for a foul on Brahim Diaz.
This decision caused enormous confusion: Senegalese supporters on the pitch, players leaving and then returning to the field, an explosive atmosphere. After more than ten minutes of interruption, Brahim Diaz ultimately missed his panenka against Édouard Mendy, and the referee blew the whistle for the end of regular time with a score of 0-0.
As if that were not enough, the match was also marked by the surreal episode of Mendy’s towel. Regularly taken by ball boys, it forced Yehvann Diouf to play the role of improvised bodyguard during extra time.
La serviette sert au gardien pour essuyer ses gants et son visage car il pleuvait, les marocains ne voulaient pas que le sénégalais puisse se nettoyer. pic.twitter.com/3rjKPzxcB3
— Monsieur_Pharaon 🇨🇵🇸🇳🇬🇼 (@MonsieurPharaon) January 19, 2026
Even Achraf Hakimi was filmed throwing the towel off the field, forcing Mendy to jump over barriers to retrieve it. At the end of the match, Diouf was even pulled out of the penalty area by ball boys while trying to protect it.
On social media, many are already talking about a “shameful AFCON,” as this final presented a disastrous and undignified image of the event.
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