Senegal are champions of Africa once again after a dramatic, controversy filled 1-0 extra time victory over hosts Morocco in Rabat, a final that descended into farce with a mass walk off and a crucial missed penalty.
Pape Gueye’s rasping drive in the 94th minute finally settled a tortuous affair at a febrile Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, but the match will be remembered for the extraordinary scenes that preceded it. The Teranga Lions, cool as you like from the spot all tournament, had to watch as Morocco’s Brahim Diaz bottled a late chance to win it from 12 yards before Gueye wrote his name into history.
It was a proper war of attrition for large parts. Both sides had their moments early doors; Sadio Mané was a constant nuisance for the Atlas Lions backline, while at the other end, Édouard Mendy had to be sharp to deny Brahim Diaz. Set pieces became a proper scrap, with neither defence giving an inch. You could see the weight of expectation on the hosts, despite that wall of noise from the terraces.
Then, all hell broke loose. Deep into injury time, Senegal thought they’d nicked it. Idrissa Gueye’s effort cannoned off the post and Ismaïla Sarr nodded home, but Congolese ref Jean Jacques Ngambo had already blown for a foul in the build up. No VAR check, total bedlam. Minutes later, Morocco were given a penalty after a VAR review for a trip on Diaz. Senegal gaffer Pape Thiaw lost his head completely, ordering his entire team off the pitch in protest. For a full 16 minutes, only Mané remained on the turf as officials pleaded for calm.
Diaz, left to ponder the pressure, produced a pathetic, chipped Panenka that landed straight in Mendy’s bread basket. The let off for Senegal was massive. “We showed our mentality,” a breathless Mendy said after. “Even when it felt like the world was against us, we stayed together.”
You just knew then that Senegal would make them pay. And so it proved. Four minutes into extra time, a rapid break saw Idrissa Gueye feed Pape Gueye, who unleashed an unstoppable left footer into the top bin. Cue utter delirium in the Senegal end. Morocco threw the kitchen sink after that Akhomach, Igamane, the lot, but Senegal’s rearguard, led by the colossal Kalidou Koulibaly, stood firm. Mendy made a couple more smart stops to see it out.
The win seals Senegal’s second AFCON crown, adding to their 2021 triumph, and marks them out as the continent’s preeminent force. For Morocco, the heartbreak is immense. They was dreaming of joining Tunisia ’04 and Egypt ’06 as victorious hosts, but it just wasn’t to be. They ends a incredible run on home soil with nothing but a runners up medal and a bitter taste of what might have been.
The fallout from this one will rumble on. That walk off is unprecedented in a final of this magnitude, and the refereeing performance will be debated for years. But for now, the streets of Dakar will be rocking. Senegal are kings again, but they’ve crowned themselves in the middle of a proper circus.
