The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between hosts Morocco and Teranga Lions of Senegal will be remembered more for its nerve-shredding twists, controversy, and raw emotion that defined one of the most dramatic finales in AFCON history.
Played before a partisan crowd in Rabat, the final opened with both sides gripped by tension. Morocco, urged on by thousands of red-clad supporters dreaming of ending a long wait for continental glory, started brighter, probing patiently through the flanks and relying on set pieces to unsettle Senegal’s well-drilled defence.
Senegal, calm and compact, absorbed the pressure, choosing discipline over adventure and waiting for moments to strike on the counter. Clear chances were scarce in regulation time as every tackle was contested, every loose ball fought for as if it could decide the title.
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was assured when called upon, while Morocco’s defence matched Senegal stride for stride, keeping Sadio Mané and his supporting cast largely quiet.
Then came the first major twist. Late in the game, Senegal thought they had found the breakthrough, only for celebrations to be cut short by a controversial decision that ruled out the goal. The moment unsettled the Senegalese players, but worse drama was still to come.
VAR intervention
As stoppage time ticked away, VAR intervened to award Morocco a penalty, igniting fury on the Senegal bench and on the pitch. Convinced the decision was unjust, Senegal’s players surrounded the officials in protest, while many of them walked off the pitch as emotions ran dangerously high. Calm was eventually restored, largely through the intervention of captain Sadio Mané, who urged his teammates to return and fight on.
When play resumed, Morocco had the golden chance to win the title from the spot. But under crushing pressure, Brahim Díaz’s audacious Panenka attempt lacked conviction, and Mendy read it perfectly, gathering the ball and swinging the momentum dramatically back in Senegal’s favour.
That missed penalty proved decisive. Barely minutes into extra time, Senegal struck. Pape Gueye latched onto a loose ball at the edge of the area and drove it home with authority, silencing the stadium and sending the Senegalese bench into raptures.
Futile efforts by hosts
After surviving controversy and chaos, Senegal had finally broken the deadlock. Morocco threw everything forward in search of an equaliser. Waves of attacks followed, crosses rained into the box, and the crowd roared its team on, but Senegal’s defence held firm, repelling every late assault with resolve and experience.
When the final whistle sounded, relief and joy flooded the Senegal camp. Against the odds, amid one of the most turbulent finals the competition has seen, they had kept their composure when it mattered most.
For Morocco, it was a night of bitter disappointment, defined by a missed penalty and a title slipping away at home.
For Senegal, it was a triumph of resilience and mental strength, a victory forged not just in tactics or talent, but in the ability to survive the twists and turmoil of an unforgettable AFCON final.
