In a decisive statement addressing swirling post-match speculation, Senegal’s goalkeeper Édouard Mendy has firmly rejected any suggestion that Morocco’s Brahim Díaz intentionally missed a crucial last-minute penalty during the Africa Cup of Nations final, attributing the pivotal save solely to sporting merit.
The incident, which occurred in the 98th minute of a tense final, sparked widespread debate after Díaz’s attempted Panenka chip floated gently into Mendy’s waiting hands, with Senegal going on to win the trophy in extra time.
Speaking to media, including beIN SPORTS and Marca, Mendy dismissed the rumors with palpable frustration. “No, of course not. We have to be serious,” the goalkeeper stated. He challenged the logic of the conspiracy directly: “Do you really think that with one minute left and a country that has been waiting 50 years for a title, we could reach an agreement?”.
Mendy instead claimed full credit for the decisive stop, framing it as a straightforward duel. “He wanted to score, and I deserve credit for stopping him, that’s all,” he asserted, later adding, “Il a tenté, il voulait marquer. J’ai le crédit de l’arrêter, c’est tout,” to French media.
The penalty itself followed extraordinary scenes of controversy. Awarded after a lengthy VAR review for a foul on Díaz, the decision prompted the entire Senegal bench, led by manager Pape Thiaw, to leave the pitch in protest, causing a delay reported to be between 17 and 20 minutes.
Order was only restored after captain Sadio Mane intervened, persuading his teammates to return. Morocco manager Walid Regragui later suggested this protracted wait affected Díaz, saying, “He had a time before taking the penalty which must have disturbed him”.
In the aftermath of the final, Díaz issued a heartfelt apology on social media, taking full responsibility for the miss. “My heart aches… Yesterday I failed, and I take full responsibility and apologize from the bottom of my heart,” the Moroccan forward wrote. He expressed his devastation, noting the wound “doesn’t heal easily,” but vowed to continue fighting for his country.
Meanwhile, Mendy emphasised the collective triumph for Senegal, summarising the victory by stating, “Football won. Football was celebrated. We only had the ball and our weapons, and we responded in the best possible way”. His final word on the penalty speculation was succinct and definitive: “Fin de l’histoire!” — End of story.