Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 after extra time on Sunday to win the Africa Cup of Nations final, securing their second continental title in a match overshadowed by controversy and crowd trouble following a late penalty decision.
The decisive moment came in the fourth minute of extra time when Pape Gueye scored the winning goal, stunning the host nation at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. His strike settled a tense final that had been low on clear chances but high on drama.
Morocco had been handed a golden opportunity to win the trophy deep into stoppage time at the end of normal time after Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded a penalty following a VAR review of a challenge on Brahim Diaz by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf. The decision, taken after a delay of nearly 20 minutes, sparked angry reactions from Senegal players and supporters.
Diaz stepped up to take the spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time but saw his attempted chip comfortably saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The miss followed prolonged protests and delays that appeared to unsettle the Real Madrid winger.
As Senegal players briefly walked off the pitch in protest at the decision, some of their supporters threw chairs and other objects from the away section and attempted to enter the field of play. Security personnel eventually restored order, and celebrations erupted among Senegal fans when the penalty was saved.
Senegal had earlier been angered by the disallowing of a stoppage-time goal when Abdoulaye Seck struck the post from a corner and Ismaila Sarr headed in the rebound, only for the effort to be ruled out for a foul.
After surviving the penalty scare, Senegal appeared energised and took the lead early in extra time. Sadio Mane won possession in midfield and passed to Idrissa Gana Gueye, who released Pape Gueye. The Villarreal midfielder held off Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi before firing a superb shot past Yassine Bounou into the top corner.
Morocco struggled to recover from the setback, and Diaz was substituted shortly after the goal. The hosts came close to forcing a penalty shoot-out when Nayef Aguerd headed against the crossbar in the second half of extra time, but they were unable to find an equaliser.
Senegal nearly doubled their advantage late in the match, but Cherif Ndiaye missed a clear chance. The Lions of Teranga held firm to secure victory in front of a crowd of 66,526.
The defeat denied Morocco a first Africa Cup of Nations title in 50 years and a chance to lift the trophy on home soil. Many home supporters left the stadium before the final whistle on a cold, wet night in Rabat.
The triumph marks Senegal’s second AFCON title in three editions, following their penalty shoot-out victory over Egypt in the 2022 final in Yaounde, which had been their first continental crown. Notably, Pape Gueye’s strike was Senegal’s first goal ever scored in an AFCON final, after failing to score in their previous three appearances in the tournament’s deciding match.
Senegal will now turn their attention to the World Cup in the United States in June, while Sadio Mane has indicated that this final was his last appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Any post-match investigation is expected to examine the conduct of both the Senegal team and their supporters, as well as security arrangements by the Moroccan organisers, following the disorder that marred the closing stages of the final.
