In a night of high tension and deep controversy, Senegal was crowned the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations champion, but the final’s chaotic conclusion, including a near-walkout by the Senegalese team, has ignited a fierce debate about the image of African football on its biggest stage.
Senegal defeated host nation Morocco 1-0 in extra time in Rabat after a match that was halted for nearly 20 minutes following a controversial penalty decision against Senegal deep into injury time.
Morocco’s coach, Walid Regragui, did not mince words in his post-match assessment, directing pointed criticism at his Senegalese counterpart, Pape Thiaw. “The image we gave of African football was rather shameful,” Regragui stated. “Having to stop the game for more than 10 minutes with the world watching is not very classy”.
He further elaborated, saying, “When a coach asks his players to leave the pitch… What Pape did tonight does not honour Africa”.
The extraordinary scenes unfolded in the final moments of normal time with the score 0-0. Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty after a VAR check for a challenge on Brahim DÃaz by defender El Hadji Malick Diouf.
In response, an incensed Thiaw gestured emphatically for his players to leave the field of play in protest. Several Senegalese players, though not all, headed toward the tunnel, and the match descended into chaos as some Senegalese supporters threw objects and clashed with stewards.
Order was eventually restored, largely thanks to the intervention of Senegal’s star forward, Sadio Mané, who helped usher his teammates back onto the pitch. “I think it was really important to play the match, even though we could have won or lost, it doesn’t matter, but football should be played,” Mané explained afterward.
The lengthy delay preceded DÃaz’s fateful penalty attempt; the Moroccan forward’s weakly chipped ‘Panenka’ was easily saved by goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, sending the match to extra time. There, a stunning strike from Pape Gueye secured the trophy for Senegal.
The post-match fallout extended beyond the pitch. At his scheduled press conference, Pape Thiaw was met with jeers from sections of the media before walking out of the room. He later offered a public apology for his actions. “After thinking about it, I realised that I shouldn’t have asked them to go off. I apologise for that,” Thiaw said. “Sometimes you can react in the heat of the moment”.
Despite the controversy, the final represented a personal pinnacle for both coaches, who had each suffered AFCON final heartbreak as players; Thiaw lost with Senegal in 2002, and Regragui with Morocco in 2004. For Regragui, the defeat was a crushing disappointment in a quest to end Morocco’s 50-year wait for a continental title.
“We have missed the chance of a lifetime,” he conceded, while already looking ahead to future challenges. The Confederation of African Football is now left to consider potential disciplinary action in the wake of the unprecedented events.