The AFCON 2025 final highlights in Rabat delivered a spectacle. What was supposed to crown a champion came with football theatre of the most chaotic kind. The final game had brilliance, controversy, chaos, and raw emotions in equal parts.
By the time the dust settled at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Senegal were champions. But only after surviving a night that tested nerves, patience, and faith in the whistle. This game left African football with a lot to talk about.
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A Final That Slipped Out of the Referee’s Control
For long stretches, the match simmered rather than exploded, until officiating decisions pushed it into chaos. Senegal grew increasingly frustrated as marginal calls consistently favoured the hosts.
This revived concerns raised earlier in the tournament about games involving Morocco, particularly in the knockout rounds. Idrissa Gana Gueye was repeatedly seen telling the referee, “God is watching.” That subtle protest speaks volumes about how Senegal felt.
The tension peaked in stoppage time. Moments prior, Ismaïla Sarr thought he had put Senegal ahead. But the goal got ruled out in a decision made too early for VAR to intervene. Then shortly after, Morocco was awarded a penalty following a VAR review for a tug inside the box. To Senegal, it felt like injustice stacked on injustice.
The Walk-Off, the Panenka, and a Winning Goal: AFCON 2025 Final Highlights Had it All
Senegal’s response was unprecedented. Players, coaches, and officials walked off the pitch in protest, freezing the stadium and delaying the final for over 14 minutes. It took Sadio Mané’s intervention to calm tempers and bring his teammates back. That captain’s moment arguably saved the game and the title.
Then came the moment that flipped the final on its head. Brahim Díaz stepped up and attempted a Panenka, an audacious choice loaded with symbolism on home soil. Edouard Mendy barely flinched, catching the ball with almost cruel ease. Rabat fell silent, and the momentum changed instantly.
Extra time followed, and Senegal, fuelled by frustration rather than fear, found their momentum. In the 94th minute, Pape Gueye surged forward, shrugged off Achraf Hakimi, and unleashed a thunderous strike into the top corner. It was the kind of goal that ends arguments.
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The Chaos Continued Even After the Goal
The disorder didn’t stop with the goal. Throughout the match, ball boys repeatedly tried to take Mendy’s towel. This action echoed similar antics seen earlier in the tournament against Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali. Senegal came prepared this time, stationing their second-choice goalkeeper by the post to guard it.
Even Hakimi joined the distraction, tossing the towel away at one point. After the final whistle, On social media, Nwabali delivered the final jab, suggesting Morocco use all the stolen towels to wipe their tears.
Post-match scenes were just as ugly. Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw was booed out of his press conference by Moroccan journalists despite arriving with his daughter. The squabble forced CAF officials to cancel the session over safety concerns.
Hours later, confusion turned to disbelief when Morocco received the tournament’s Fair Play Award despite these ugly scenes in the final game and for most of the competition.
Still, history will remember the football. The Teranga Lions of Senegal are AFCON champions once again.
They ended the night with the only statistic that truly matters. Morocco’s 50-year wait for continental glory continues. Meanwhile, Dakar erupted in celebration, capped by a presidentially declared public holiday.
As the noise fades, one uncomfortable question remains. Is the host advantage in African football still healthy, or do nights like this suggest it needs a serious rethink?
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