In a night of high tension and raw emotion, Senegal triumphed over Morocco 1-0 to lift the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations trophy at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The final, however, will be remembered less for the football and more for an extraordinary sequence of events that pushed the match to the brink of abandonment.
For 90 minutes, the clash was a tightly-contested stalemate. The drama erupted deep into injury time when a potential Senegal winner was disallowed for a foul in the build-up. Moments later, Moroccan star Brahim Diaz was fouled in the box, earning his side a penalty after a VAR review. The decision sparked fury in the Senegal camp.
In a stunning move, coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players to leave the pitch in protest. As the walk-off began, veteran leader Sadio Mané stepped in. He pleaded with his teammates, even entering the dressing room to rally them, successfully convincing the squad to return and continue the match after a delay of over ten minutes.
The reprieve was monumental. When the penalty was finally taken in the 113th minute, Diaz attempted a delicate Panenka chip that was easily saved, leaving the scoreline unbroken and sending the game into extra time.
There, Senegal found their hero. In the 94th minute, midfielder Pape Gueye unleashed a stunning left-footed strike from a tight angle into the top corner, securing the only goal of the game and the championship for Senegal.
In the aftermath, Mané's influence was formally recognized. Though not the team captain, he was given the honor of being the first to lift the trophy. He was also named the tournament's best player, capping a campaign where his leadership proved as valuable as his skill.
Individual awards also went to Morocco's Yassine Bounou (Best Goalkeeper) and Brahim Diaz (Golden Boot), whose tournament-high goal tally was overshadowed by his critical penalty miss in the final moment of regulation time. Senegal's victory, forged in controversy and sealed by resilience, marks a historic championship won on hostile territory.