Late Penalty Miss Costs Morocco as Senegal Win 2025 AFCON

Late Penalty Miss Costs Morocco as Senegal Win 2025 AFCON

By Niyi Busari 

Senegal were crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after edging tournament hosts Morocco 1–0 in a tense extra-time final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

The decisive moment came through Pape Gueye, whose brilliant solo run deep into extra time ended with a powerful strike that beat the Moroccan goalkeeper and stunned the capacity crowd of more than 68,000 spectators into silence.

Morocco, buoyed by home support, pushed relentlessly for an equaliser and were handed a golden opportunity in the dying moments of the match. Tournament top scorer Brahim Díaz, who had netted five goals on Senegal’s road to the final, stepped up to take a last-gasp penalty that could have forced a dramatic turnaround.

However, Díaz’s effort was poorly placed and was comfortably saved by the Senegalese goalkeeper, sending shockwaves through the stadium and among fans watching around the world. The miss sealed Senegal’s victory and confirmed their status as African champions once again.

The triumph caps a resilient tournament run for Senegal, who combined defensive discipline with decisive moments in attack to deny Morocco a fairytale home triumph.