Senegal claimed a tense 1–0 win against Morocco during the Africa Cup of Nations final on January 18, 2026, in Rabat. A disputed VAR penalty decision caused chaos and led to Senegal briefly leaving the field.
Quick Summary
| Category | Details |
| Competition | Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 Final |
| Date | January 18, 2026 |
| Venue | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco |
| Attendance | 66,526 |
| Final Score | Senegal 1–0 Morocco (AET) |
| Half-Time Score | 0–0 |
| Full-Time Score (90′) | 0–0 |
| Extra Time Score | 1–0 |
| Winner | Senegal |
| Referee | Jean-Jacques Ndala (DR Congo) |
| Winning Goal | Pape Gueye (94′) |
| Key Incident | VAR penalty awarded to Morocco (98′), saved by Edouard Mendy (114′) |
| Senegal Goalkeeper | Edouard Mendy |
| Morocco Goalkeeper | Yassine Bounou |
| Controversy | Senegal walkoff after VAR penalty decision; 14-minute delay |
| Senegal Coach | Pape Bouna Thiaw |
| Morocco Coach | Walid Regragui |
Match Overview: Result, Scoreline, and Context
Senegal won against Morocco 1–0 in extra time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. This victory gave them their second AFCON title within three tournaments. Both teams had good opportunities, but the match stayed 0–0 during the first 90 minutes.
Morocco’s goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, produced crucial saves to deny Senegal in the first half, including a remarkable reflex save against Pape Gueye’s header. Morocco’s best opportunity in regulation time came when Ayoub El Kaabi missed the target in the 58th minute after receiving a delivery from Bilal El Khannouss.
Senegal thought they had scored in the 93rd minute when Ismaila Sarr headed in after Abdoulaye Seck’s effort hit the post, but referee Jean-Jacques Ndala from DR Congo ruled it out for a foul on Achraf Hakimi.
SUGGESTED READ: AFCON 2025: Morocco and South Africa Secure Last 16 Spots
The VAR Penalty Decision That Decided the Senegal vs Morocco AFCON Final
Moments after disallowing Senegal’s late goal, referee Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty in the 98th minute following a VAR review. The spot-kick was granted after El Hadji Malick Diouf appeared to pull down Brahim Diaz by the neck while defending a corner in stoppage time.
Ndala initially did not signal for the penalty but was directed to the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee before making the final decision. The penalty was eventually taken in the 24th minute of stoppage time, 114 minutes into the match, following lengthy delays caused by the protests and Senegal’s walkout.
Brahim Diaz attempted a Panenka-style chip, but Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily caught the weak effort, sending the match into extra time.
Chaos, Protests, and Controversy After the VAR Call
The referee’s penalty call made Senegal’s players and coaches furious. Their frustration grew because an earlier goal had been disallowed without any VAR review. Coach Pape Bouna Thiaw told his players to leave the field. Most headed toward the tunnel, and a few went straight to the dressing room.
Tensions escalated on the touchline with clashes between both technical teams and players. In the stands, Senegal supporters attempted to storm the field, throwing projectiles and dismantling electronic advertising boards.
Riot police and stewards created barriers to contain the unrest, and at least one steward was carried out on a stretcher after sustaining an injury. Several Senegal fans were removed by authorities during the 14-minute delay.
Captain Sadio Mane remained on the pitch and eventually persuaded his teammates to return. According to Mane, he consulted with veteran French coach Claude Le Roy, who advised him that despite the perceived injustice, abandoning the match was not the solution. Mane then rushed to the locker room to rally his teammates back onto the field.
Reactions From Coaches, Players, and Officials
Morocco’s coach, Walid Regragui, called the final “heartbreaking” and slammed Senegal’s walkoff as “shameful,” saying it failed to honor Africa. Regragui admitted that a penalty in the final moments makes victory feel within reach, but said football often balances things out. He took full blame for the defeat and mentioned that “the players cried in the changing room” afterwards.
Regragui reflects on ‘heartbreaking’ controversial AFCON final defeat to Senegal
Regarding Brahim Diaz’s penalty choice, Regragui said the player “had a lot of time taking the penalty, which must have disturbed him,” but added “we can’t change what happened“. Diaz was visibly emotional after being substituted in extra time, with cameras capturing him struggling to hold back tears on the bench.
Pape Gueye, who scored the winning goal, explained the team’s frustration: “What we felt was injustice. There had been a foul, but the referee chose not to look at the VAR. We were frustrated, but Sadio told us to come back on the pitch to remobilize us”.
Senegal coach Thiaw later apologized for ordering the walkoff during a beIN Sports interview, calling it a mistake made “in the heat of the moment”. “I apologise to football. I brought them back,” Thiaw said, though he was jeered out of his scheduled post-match press conference by Moroccan journalists and walked out without it taking place.
As of January 19, 2026, CAF has not released any official statement regarding the VAR controversy or potential sanctions related to Senegal’s walkoff. Prior to the final, CAF had issued a statement rejecting Senegal’s pre-match complaints about organizational issues, affirming that all teams received equal treatment.
Tactical and Performance Takeaways From Senegal 1–0 Morocco
Senegal demonstrated defensive resilience and tournament experience, conceding only two goals throughout the entire competition. Their back line, led by Kalidou Koulibaly in earlier matches despite his suspension for the round of 16, effectively neutralized Morocco’s attacking threats.
Senegal made a difference with their counter-attacking style. Sadio Mane’s skill in taking back the ball in midfield set up the chance for the winning goal. Morocco kept the ball more often and applied pressure with Brahim Diaz’s clever play and Achraf Hakimi’s aggressive forward runs.
However, they struggled to convert chances into goals, with goalkeeper Yassine Bounou’s heroics at the other end keeping them in the contest. Morocco had gone 477 minutes without conceding before the final. Their closest opportunity in extra time came when Nayef Aguerd’s powerful header struck the crossbar from a corner.
What does the Result Means for AFCON and Both Teams?
Senegal’s victory marks their second AFCON title in the last three tournaments, following their first-ever championship in 2022 when they defeated Egypt on penalties in Yaoundé. The win extends their status as one of Africa’s dominant forces and confirms their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, having already qualified by winning CAF Group B.
Sadio Mane indicated that the final may have been his last AFCON appearance, stating, “I’m extremely pleased, but regarding AFCON, for me, it’s done. I will stay with the team until the World Cup, and then that will be the end”.
For Morocco, the defeat extends their agonizing 50-year wait to reclaim the AFCON title they won in 1976 in Ethiopia. Despite their status as Africa’s top-ranked team and recent success reaching the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, Morocco has managed only one continental championship.
The loss marked Morocco’s first defeat in 27 international matches. The hosts had been heavily favored to win in front of a crowd of 66,526 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Track player profiles, coaching decisions and extra-time drama from Africa’s biggest football tournament on Jeetwin Sports!
