Day 32 (Sunday, 18 January, 2026)
AFCON 2025 Final: Sadio Mane Saves The Day As Senegal Emerge Champions….
Tunnel Drama Threatens AFCON’s Biggest Night
FORMER African Footballer of the Year Sadio Mane saved the continent the embarrassment of an abandoned AFCON 2025 final when he intervened to bring his Senegal teammates back to finish the match against host country Morocco at a stunned Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday, January the 18th, 2026.
With FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the whole football world watching, Senegal coach Pape Thiaw had ordered his players off the pitch and down the tunnel in a most unsportsmanlike manner following a controversial penalty kick awarded to Morocco in the 93rd minute by center referee Jean-Jacques Ndala from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mane’s Intervention Restores Order And Hope
Thanks to Mane who managed to convince his teammates, they re-emerged from the tunnel, the match was restarted after 17 long minutes, the penalty kick was taken……and lost, and Senegal bounced back to score the winning goal in extra time to become African Champions for the second time in their history.
At the post-match conference, Pape Thiaw was jeered for his unsportsmanlike behaviour by angry Moroccan journalists who were obviously upset by their country’s defeat. Senegalese journalists countered by cheering Thiaw but he had to walk away without answering any questions when the situation became more tensed.
Also Read: AFCON 2025 Diary Day 31: Nwabali’s Heroics, Eagles’ Bronze Glory And Casablanca Tales
How differently it would have ended for Senegal if they had not listened to Mane. Morocco would have won by a walk-over; and Senegal would probably have been suspended by CAF. It is likely that they and their “unruly” supporters still will face some disciplinary action from CAF. But I’m sure that, with the AFCON trophy safely in their hands, they won’t care.
A Captain’s Gesture And CAF’s Recognition
In recognition of Mane’s mature intervention and overall contribution to their triumph, Senegal captain, Kalidou Koulibaly handed the skipper’s band to Mane to receive the AFCON trophy on behalf of the team. Then, CAF picked him as the Player of the Tournament ostensibly for “saving face” for Africa and the AFCON 2025 on its final day.
From National Dream To Crushing Regret For Diaz
While Mane will always remember 18 January, 2026 with a big smile on his face, the opposite will most likely be the case for Morocco’s Brahim Diaz. This date will tug at his heart forever and make him swallow hard every time he remembers.
It was Real Madrid’s Diaz that ‘won’ the controversial penalty for his country after protesting vehemently against an alleged foul in the Senegal goal area during a corner kick. After the West Africans walked off and later returned to the pitch, Diaz was handed the ball to take the penalty and end 50 years of wait that Morocco had endured to be crowned African Champions again. But it was not to be.
The Penalty That Changed Everything
Diaz bizarrely opted for a ‘panenka’ on the biggest penalty kick of his life when he should have fired the most powerful shot of his entire football career. Senegal goalkeeper Eduardo Mendy who now plays for Al Ahli FC in Saudi Arabia stood his ground and gratefully made probably the biggest, yet simplest save of his life. Morocco’s golden chance was gone in that split second. The whole stadium in a sea of Moroccan red was stunned into momentary silence, except of course the jubilant Senegalese and their supporters.
Also Read: AFCON 2025 Diary Day 30: Ndidi’s Voice, Hassan’s Storm And A Bronze Battle Ahead
(My photographer Ganiyu Yusuf who was close to the scene observed that Morocco’s captain Achraf Hakimi was offered the ball to take the penalty kick, but he declined).
Extra-Time Punishment And Eternal What-Ifs
Considering what followed in extra time when Pape Alassane Gueye of Villarreal FC of Spain scored the winning goal for Senegal with a powerful left foot shot into the top right corner that grazed the underside of the crossbar on the way in, Diaz will remember Sunday 18 January, 2026 with a regret permanently etched in his memory. One moment, the chance to be a national hero was right there in his hands. The next moment, it was gone!
Was it a penalty?
The big debate of the final was whether the “controversial penalty” was fairly awarded by the center referee from DRC.
A close look at the playback shows clearly that Diaz was dragged down in the box which prompted the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to call the referee’s attention to it. Despite all the hues and cries about biased officiating in favour of Morocco at this tournament, I believe that the referee made the right call.
Were Senegalese supporters justified?
THERE is a large Senegalese community here in Morocco and those in the stadium really made their presence felt in the loudest manner possible when the referee awarded that penalty against the Teranga Lions. They became rowdy and aggressive, jumping from the spectator stand into the arena, stamping on the electronic board in their section of the stadium and throwing the photographers seated there into panic.
Some people might want to say that their behaviour was justified but I think it was horrendous and should be sanctioned appropriately by CAF.
The football, Senegal deserved to win
ON the balance of play, the Teranga Lions were deserving winners in the end. Right from the start, they dominated possession and territory and could have scored from a corner kick as early as the fifth minute when Morocco’s goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, was forced into a save at the back post.
Bounou would make several other point blank saves later in the game to keep Morocco in the contest, but he was helpless to stop the cracker by Gueye.
By contrast, the weight of expectation in the tournament eventually told on the Moroccans in the final. They had their chances in the game but lacked the composure to finish.
The late, late show…..
JUST like the Morocco-Nigeria semi-final, the AFCON 2025 final on Sunday the 18th was another late, late show in Rabat because the game stretched into extra time. By the time the ceremonial presentation that followed was complete, we had entered the early hours of Monday, the 19th.
I have written this short post-match review for my Sunday diary just to meet the deadline of my editors in Lagos. With the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations now concluded, I will write a proper conclusion of “MUMINI ALAO’s DAILY AFCON DAIRY PRESENTED BY MR.CHEF NIGERIA tomorrow.
Please join me then…..
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By Mumini Alao, in Rabat
Photos by Ganiyu Yusuf
