Several players are face down on the pitch in tears – and that’s just the winners. Senegal have stunned the hosts Morocco, whose fifty years of hurt just got even more painful – in a football context, unimaginably painful.
Full time: Senegal 1-0 Morocco
After a final like no other in football history, Senegal are champions of Africa for the second time!
120+3 min Senegal have the ball in the Morocco half. There are seconds remaining.
120+1 min Three minutes of added time.
120 min Ezzalzouli’s cross is too close to Mendy. Morocco are almost out of time.
119 min “Should the Senegalese players who left the pitch not been given yellow cards (meaning some would have picked up their second of the match)?” asks Matthew Charlesworth.
Hmm, you might be right. We certainly haven’t heard the end of that utter mess.
118 min Senegal have had a really good five minutes, most of it in the Morocco half.
117 min “Don’t listen to the haters, Rob,” says Ian Copestake. “You’re not that pathetic.”
116 min That corner leads to another, which is headed away as far as Idrissa Gueye. He swishes a shot from 25 yards that goes wide of the far post. Lovely strike though.
116 min “Peace prize should go to Mane,” writes Ricky. “He made sure your beloved Morocco took the L today.”
Do you really think I’m a Morocco fan, Ricky? Or are you just being a complete [redacted]?
115 min An awkward long-range shot from Pape Gueye is pushed up in the air and behind for a corner by Bono.
114 min Mamadou Sarr is booked for something or other. This isn’t no time for details. I think En-Nesyri was booked a couple of minutes ago as well.
113 min “I’m about 60 per cent with Ricky,” writes David Howell. “The disallowed goal - especially the premature whistle - was ludicrous. The penalty was just as Rob called it - Diaz went looking for a foul, was given something to work with, and sold it shamelessly.
“With that said, I don’t blame Senegal for walking off - they probably felt the game had a predetermined outcome at that point so why should they pretend otherwise? And now they’ve proven otherwise, and I think that’s the loudest I’ve cheered a goal for anyone in a long, long time.”
112 min I did Ndiaye a disservice – it was actually an astonishing piece of goalkeeping from Bounou. Having already made an outrageous reaction save from Ndiaye’s first shot, he scrambled across and slapped the ball against Ndiaye’s foot, which is why it ricocheted wide rather than into the net.
111 min: What a miss by Cherif Ndiaye!
Senegal should be 2-0 up. Sarr’s excellent ball finds Ndiaye, whose low shot is wonderfully saved to his right by Bounou. The ball runs loose in front of an open goal and Ndiaye somehow sweeps it wide.
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110 min It’s also pouring down in Rabat, adding to the theatre of this crazy final. Morocco have been all over Senegal since the resumption.
109 min That was such a fine effort from Aguerd, who towered over Mamadou Sarr and redirected the corner with a fierce twist of the neck.
108 min: Aguerd hits the bar!
Another corner for Morocco on the right. Akhomach’s excellent inswinger is met by the leaping Aguerd, who slams a header against the bar from six yards! There’s a brief game of pinball before Senegal get the ball away.
108 min “And the Fifa Peace Prize goes to... Ricky!!!” writes Peter Oh.
107 min A Morocco corner is half cleared to El Yamiq, who shoots well wide from the edge of the area.
106 min They’re back under way.
Senegal substitution Ismail Jakobs replace El Hadji Malick Diouf, the man who thought he’d lost the final.
“That was the worst Panenka since Yann Kermogant in the playoffs for Leicester,” writes Graham Randall. “Somewhere, somebody is writing a song about Brahim Diaz.”
NB: link contains adult language. I think, it’s been a while. Thirteen years!
Half time in extra time: Senegal 1-0 Morocco
Senegal are 15 minutes away from tainted glory thanks to a spectacular goal from Pape Gueye.
105+1 min “Honestly, this has to be the worst coverage of any football I’ve ever seen,” writes Ricky. “Senegal are well within their rights to protest the refereeing. It’s scandalous. For you to justify the refereeing is embarrassing. Senegal’s goal should have stood and for it to not get reviewed is embarrassing.
“Also in your face. The penalty was pathetic and Rob you’re also pathetic.”
If you enjoy our coverage as much as Ricky, you know what to do.
105 min: What a block by Hakimi! The teenager Mbaye explodes past three Moroccan defenders, surges into the area and drives a shot that is crucially blocked by his PSG teammate Hakimi. That would have been an outrageous goal.
104 min: Chance for Morocco Ezzalzouli’s cross from the left bounces up at En-Nesyri, who stoops to head wide of the near post. It was a decent but awkward chance because the ball was almost behind him when he maded contact.
103 min “Imagine going from player of the tournament to being known for the worst penalty ever taken,” writes Saurav Samaddar. “Oh Brahim!”
The poor guy looked totally broken. That, almost certainly, will define his career.
102 min This time Mendy is legitimately flattened by Igamane, who also stays down after their collision. It was a short backpass which Mendy cleared a split-second before Igamane arrived on the scene.
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100 min Mendy dives bravely in front of En-Nesyri to claim a header back across goal, then uses the resulting contact with En-Nesyri to waste 30 seconds.
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99 min I know it’s only a game, but try telling that to Brahim Diaz. Imagine his internal monologue right now; I’d imagine Peep Show is a feelgood comedy by comparison.
That goal, incidentally, was the first Morocco have conceded from open play in the tournament.
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97 min: Morocco substitutions That’s Brahim Diaz’s last touch. He and Noussair Mazraoui have been replaced by Hamza Igamane and Ilias Akhomach.
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96 min A headed clearance is currently by Brahim Diaz in the D. He twists classily away from a defender but sweeps a right-foot shot straight into the arms of Mendy.
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El Aynaoui lost the ball to Mane near halfway and Senegal set off on the break. The ball was worked to Pape Gueye, who ran to the edge of the area, resisting a flimsy challenge from Hakimi en route, and flashed a rising shot into the far corner with his left foot. What a goal!
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GOAL! Senegal 1-0 Morocco (P Gueye 94)
It gets worse for Brahim Diaz and Morocco: Pape Gueye has smashed Senegal in front!
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93 min Diaz is still on the field but he looks a broken man.
92 min “This is the worst best thing I’ve ever seen,” writes Nick Smith. “PS Kudos to Mane for being the sane one that got them back on the pitch.”
At one point I think he slapped the badge impatiently, as if to remind everyone they’re representing their effing country.
91 min: Senegal 0-0 Morocco Extra time is underway in Rabat. If you’re just joining us…
“Ha!” says James Humphries. “There is still some justice in the world, eh?”
Who are you? What is justice? What is eh?
Diaz’s penalty was the last kick of normal time – all 120 minutes of it – and he looks inconsolable. I think his manager has just adminstered a brollocking on the pitch, which won’t help.
Verily, I can’t spake.
Full time: Senegal 0-0 Morocco
Did that just happen? Has someone put LSD in my kombucha?
90+24 min: Mendy saves Diaz's penalty!!
WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FLIP IS GOING ON! Brahim Diaz kisses the gentlest of Panenkas straight into the arms of Mendy, who stood still and caught it with ease.
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90+23 min And still we wait… Mendy needs to be careful or he could get a second yellow card.
90+22 min Mendy has been booked for something or other. It looks like the penalty is finally going to be taken 15 minutes after it was awarded. Brahim Diaz, who won it, will take it.
90+21 min: The Senegal players are returning the field, including the goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Imagine if he saves the penalty.
90+20 min “Even by the standards of unmemorable finals, this one seemed to vanish from memory as it was happening… until added time,” writes Kári Tulinius. “People will talk about this absurd spectacle for decades.”
90+19 min “This is definitely worthy of the next Fifa Peace Prize,” deadpans Peter Oh.
90+18 min Mane is waving the Senegal players back on the field. It looks like a half-and-half split, with maybe five on the field and the rest preparing for an early bath.
90+17 min The Senegal players are still gathered near the touchline. One or two Morocco players have asked them to stop playing silly buggers. Now some of the Senegal players are walking down the tunnel. Sadio Mane has stayed on the field along with a few others.
This, even by the standards of modern football – hell, even by the standards of modern life – is astonishing.
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90+15 min It’s nearly 10 minutes since El Hadji Malick Diouf puts hands on Brahim Diaz before heading the corner away. Now we’re seeing a replay of the disallowed goal at the other end – if anything that’s the greater injustice because Seck barely touched Hakimi.
I don’t think Diouf’s challenge on Diaz was a penalty either, but by putting a hand on Diaz’s neck he took a big risk.
90+13 min I don’t know whether this is hilarious, pathetic or both. I can understand Senegal’s burning sense of injustice but this is nonsense.
90+12 min: Senegal players leave the pitch!
The Senegal manager Pape Thiaw has called his players to the touchline. This is utterly bonkers.
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90+11 min Seck is now ranting and raving at En-Nesyri, who has the ball in his hands and is standing by the penalty spot. An utter mess, this, with about as much dignity as you’d find at a midlife crisis festival.
It’s the beautiful game!
90+9 min When you combine the Morocco penalty with the goal at the other end that was disallowed, you can understand why the Senegal players are apoplectic. It’s the softest of penalties.
Penalty to Morocco!
90+8 min Incredible! This could be the last kick of the final. It has also kicked off massively on the touchline, with both benches involved. It’s chaos.
90+8 min Diaz made a meal of it, but equally Diouf was silly to give him the opportunity to do so. The poor referee is damned if he does…
90+7 min: VAR check for a Morocco penalty! Oh my goodness. Diouf had his arms on Diaz’s neck and this may well be given.
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90+6 min Brahim Diaz wants a penalty after a bit of a wrestling match at a corner. It’s not given but now it’s all kicking off on the field. Diaz is fuming.
90+4 min: Substitution for Morocco Anass Salah-Eddine replaces Ismael Saibari.
90+4 min: Substitution for Senegal Cherif Ndiaye comes on for Nicolas Jackson.
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90+2 min: Disallowed goal for Senegal! The corner is swung deep towards Seck, who slams a header against the post. The follow-up is headed into the net by Sarr but the referee has already blown for a foul by Seck on Hakimi. There wasn’t a huge amount in that and it could have gone either way.
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90+1 min The subsitute El Yamiq does superbly to stop Sarr’s cross reaching the unmarked Jackson at the far post.
90 min: Chances at both ends! The teenager Mbaye makes room to lift a left-foot shot from 15 yards that is pushed away with two hands by the leaping Bounou. Morocco break and Ezzalzouli shoots over from a tight angle after hurtling into the area.
There will be eight minutes of added time. I’m surprised it's not more than that.
89 min: Morocco substitution Jawad El Yamiq replaces the injured Adam Masina.
88 min Mesina is injured, which means another delay in what has become a frustrating second half.
86 min A loose ball breaks to Pape Gueye on the edge of the area. He mishits a shot into the ground and well wide of the far post. A tough chance, though he should have made cleaner contact.
85 min There should be loads of added time, at least 10 minutes, so we’re not as close to full time as you might think. The match has been pretty cagey since the resumption after El Aynaoui’s injury.
81 min Hakimi curls an outswinger towards the unmarked Ezzalzouli 12 yards out. He hits a volley into the ground and Mendy saves easily. I think that’s Morocco’s first shot on target tonight.
80 min Hakimi wins another corner for Morocco, who make a double substitution before it is taken. Youssef En-Nesyri and Oussama Targhaline replace Bilal El Khannouss and Ayoub El Kaabi.
77 min: Triple substitution for Senegal Ismaila Sarr, Abdoulaye Seck and Ibrahim Mbaye, just 17, replace Lamine Camara, Antoine Mendy and Iliman Ndiaye.
75 min Hakimi’s corner is half cleared to Masina, whose cross drifts behind for a goalkick.
El Aynaoui is now off the field changing his shirt. He returns to a roar from the home fans.
74 min Jut as play is about to resume with another Morocco corner, Masina is thrown to the floor by Jackson. The game has been stopped for almost eight minutes.
72 min El Aynaoui is still being treated on the field.
70 min El Aynaoui is being bandaged up so he clearly wants to continue, but that seems more than a little optimistic.
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67 min “I have no direct link to either country, but, if we’re honest, we’re very rarely truly ‘neutral’ when we watch sport, are we?” writes Matt Dony. “I think we’re all pretty good at finding some reason to support one team. I had my honeymoon in Agadir a couple of years ago, and every local I spoke to, on learning that I’m Welsh (not English!), asked me about Gareth Bale. Which naturally made me very happy. So, come on, Morocco! (Mrs Dony enjoyed the constant Bale chat less, admittedly…).”
66 min Hakimi’s corner leads to a clash of heads between Diouf and El Aynaoui, who is bleeding profusely and will need treatment. His game might be over because it looks a really nasty cut.
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65 min Hakimi’s dangerous cross is shanked over his own bar by Niakhate. Morocco have been much the better team in the second half.
64 min “If you’ve had it up to here with Bono/U2 gags, here’s an Oasis one,” apologies Peter Oh. “Do I think Senegal have got plenty of attacking options on the bench? Definitely Mbaye!”
63 min Another chance for El Kaabi, this time after a rapid break. Diouf lost the ball near the halfway line to Diaz, who ran to the edge of the area and found El Kaabi to his left. His shot was superbly blocked by the sliding Mamadou Sarr and Ezzalzouli sliced the follow-up well wide from a tight angle.
58 min: Great chance for Morocco!
Oof, this will haunt Ayoub El Kaabi if Morocco don’t win. El Khannouss, on the right, shaped a gorgeous pass/cross that took the entire Senegal defence out of the game. El Kaabi met it on the run, six yards out, but sliced the ball fractionally wide with his left foot.
Mendy flew out at his feet and El Kaabi didn’t have the opportunity to chip him, so it was a slightly tougher opportunity than I first thought. But it was still Morocco’s best chance of the game.
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57 min The corner is half cleared and looped back towards goal, over his own head, by Pape Gueye. Bounou makes an easy save.
56 min Diouf and Mane combine down the Senegal left to win a corner.
54 min “Evening Rob,” writes Colum Fordham. “Was watching a moving new film Sirat, set in Morocco, which has incredibly powerful moments (no spoilers) before tuning into the final which threatens to be equally explosive.
“Bounou’s save reminded me of Emi Martinez’s last minute effort against France in the World Cup and could prove crucial. It’s exhilirating to see Brahim Diaz and Sadio Mané delight with their sublime skills, worthy of finalists.”
53 min Morocco have made a strong start to the second half, with Ezzalzouli heavily involved. He’s fouled on the left wing by Antoine Mendy, which gives Morocco another chance to load the penalty area.
Hakimi whacks the free-kick into the wall.
51 min Hakimi’s corner eventually leads to another, also on the right. Nothing comes of it.
50 min Diouf makes an important defensive header to stop Ezzalzouli’s cross from the left reaching El Khannouss (I think) at the far post. Instead the ball goes behind for the first corner of the second half.
46 min Senegal begin the second half – no changes on either side. Yet.
Half-time reading
This, from Daniel Harris, is sheer delightful sports writing.
Half time: Senegal 0-0 Morocco
That’s the end of a two-faced first half: frantic and eventful at times, deathly dull at others. The Morocco keeper Bounou made two vital saves to deny Pape Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye, though Gueye really should have scored. Adbe Ezzalzouli was a constant threat for Morocco and created their best chance with a gorgeous cross from which Nayif Aguerd missed an attempted header in front of goal.
45+4 min Ndiaye produces some tricky footwork to find Camara in the D. He has Pape Gueye in a much better position to his left but goes for goal himself and has a shot blocked.
Morocco break and Saibari has a shot blocked at the other end.
45 min Jackson leads a Senegal break and finds Mane to his left. He cuts across Aguerd in the area and is preparing to shoot when El Aynaoui gets back to put the ball behind for a corner. Excellent defensive-midfield play.
There will be four minutes of added time.
43 min Saibari is about to shoot from the edge of the area when Camara makes a cracking sliding challenge. Saibari catches Camara in the face as he falls, though it was accidental.
41 min: Chance for Morocco! Make that two of the best three chances. The superb Ezzalzouli wriggles away from Mane and curls a marvellous, almost nonchalant inswinging cross towards Aguerd eight yards out. He tries a glancing header but doesn’t make contact and the ball drifts past the far post.
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39 min I’d say Morocco have been the better team in general play but the two best chances, by far, have fallen to Senegal.
37 min: Brilliant save by Bounou!
Jackson, just past the halfway line, slices the Morocco defence apart with a perfect angled through ball for Ndiaye. He charges into the area, looks up and drives a low shot towards the far corner. Bounou thrusts out his right leg to divert the ball just past the post. That’s an outstanding save because his weight was going in the other direction.
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36 min See 22 min.
33 min Mazraoui is fouled on the left wing by Ndiaye. Ezzalzouli’s free-kick is woefully overhit and goes behind for a Senegal goalkick.
31 min Lots of safe, meaningless passing, particularly from Senegal. This already has the whiff of extra time and.
28 min Lamine Camara hits a free-kick straight out of play. Senegal have been poor going forward.
26 min “Watching the match with three generations of family, nerves already shot to pieces,” writes Yacine Semmar. “Go Morocco!”
Wait until it goes to penalties.
24 min Lamine Camara is booked for a late tackle on El Aynaoui in midfield. Morocco are having the better of the game just now, though there isn’t a huge amount in it.
22 min This game needs a goal.
20 min Idrissa Gueye loses the ball in midfield. Morocco break and Saibari, clearly offside, misses a one-on-one anyway.
17 min Ezzalzouli, Morocco’s left winger, has been the liveliest attacker so far. Brahim DIaz has been quieter on the other side.
14 min Moments later Saibari runs to the edge of the Senegal area before slashing well wide with his left foot.
13 min Ezzalzouli waves a nice pass to the underlapping Saibari, whose cross on the run is cut out at the near post. It’s been a decent start to the game.
12 min Free-kick to Senegal on the left wing, 40-odd yards from goal. Diouf’s cross brushes the head of the leaping Mamadou Sarr and drifts out of play.
8 min Ezzalzouli scoots away from Antoine Mendy on the left and slides a low cross that is booted away at the far post by Diouf.
6 min I’m not certain Pape Gueye’s effort was even on target. He headed it back across goal rather than into the sizeable gap between Bounou and the near post. It was a glorious chance.
5 min: Big chance for Senegal! Mane hurtles down the left to win a corner. It’s curled beyond the far post and met by Pape Gueye, whose header is kept out desperately by Bounou! It was a fine stop, especially becauise he originally misjudged the flight of the ball, but Gueye really should have scored.
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4 min A cautious start, as you’d expect. Morocco in particular are moving their pawns around without risk.
2 min I forgot to say that Mamadou Sarr, who plays tonight due to Kalidou Koulibaly’s suspension, is the son of Pape Sarr – who himself missed the 2002 Afcon final through suspension. It’s a game, it’s old, and it’s funny.
1 min Peep peep! Morocco, in their white change strip (don’t ask), kick off from right to left as we watch.
After a spectacular rendition of the Moroccan anthem, it’s time for the main event: the Afcon 2025 final.
Yes I know it’s 18 January 2026, what’s your point? Don’t split hairs with me because I’ve had it with you.
A follow-up from James Humphries (see below)
I cleared my diary* to watch both semis, proving that despite this world-weary affect I am in fact the last of the romantics, or possibly just very bad at pattern recognition.
* not, admittedly, a Herculean task (as it were)
The Senegal right-back Krepin Diatta was injured in the warm-up, hence Antoine Mendy’s inclusion. I can’t comprehend how painful it must be for a player to miss out on the biggest game of their life in such circumstances.
“Hi Rob,” writes James Humphries. “Having specifically timed a journey across the central belt so that I should make it back home in time for the start of the game, if the first ten minutes are fantastic and then it turns into something like either of the two semis you’ll know I got in late.
”Egypt-Cote d’Ivoire was such a fun game, too! ‘Maybe Egypt have unconstipated themselves’ I thought optimistically on Thursday, until the first moment one of their players got near a Senegalese shirt and immediately hurled himself to the ground. So, about five minutes into the game?”
You made it home in time for that one then?
Morocco’s route to the final
Group A Comoros 2-0, Mali 1-1, Zambia 3-0
Last 16 Tanzania 1-0
Quarter-final Cameroon 2-0
Semi-final Nigeria 0-0 (4-2 pens)
The only goal Morocco have conceded was a penalty by Mali’s Lassine Sinayoko
Senegal’s route to the final
Group D Botswana 3-0, DR Congo 1-1, Benin 3-0
Last 16 Sudan 3-1
Quarter-final Mali 1-0
Semi-final Egypt 1-0
Senegal’s 12 goals have been spread throughout the team, with eight different goalscorers.
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Team news
Morocco are unchanged from the semi-final win over Nigeria. Senegal make three changes: Lamine Camara, Antoine Mendy and Mamadou Sarr come in for Krepin Diatta and the suspended pair of Kalidou Koulibaly and Habib Diarra.
Senegal (4-3-3) E Mendy; A Mendy, M Sarr, Niakhate, Diouf; L Camara, I Gueye, P Gueye; I Ndiaye, Jackson, Mane.
Subs: Diaw, Y Diouf, M Camara, Ciss, Dia, Diallo, Jakobs, Mbaye, C Ndiaye, Niang, Sabaly, I Sarr, P Sarr, Seck.
Morocco (4-1-4-1) Bounou; Hakimi, Aguerd, Masina, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui; Diaz, El Khannouss, Saibari, Ezzalzouli; El Kaabi.
Subs: Munir, Al Harrar, Akhomach, Ait Boudlal, Amrabat, Belammari, Chibi, El Yamiq, Igamane, Rahimi, Saiss, Salah-Eddine, Talbi, Targhalline.
Referee Jean Jacques Ngambo Ndala (DR Congo).
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Sometimes a tournament’s greatest strength can be its greatest weakness. In part because of the excellent playing conditions, this has been an Africa Cup of Nations devoid of shocks. The better teams keep winning. There has been a lot of good football, but not a huge amount of memorable football.
And the consequence is that, in the final, we have the two best teams, or certainly the best team in north Africa against the best team in sub-Saharan Africa: the hosts and World Cup semi-finalists Morocco against Senegal, who have reached three of the past four Afcon finals.
Preamble
You’ve got a nerve, turning up here expecting a goalfest. Major finals don’t work like that; Afcon finals certainly don’t. The last 10 have produced only 10 goals – and that includes four periods of extra-time. The stakes are too high to worry about entertainment.
Tonight, in Rabat, either Morocco or Senegal will become champions of Africa for only the second time. That’s where the similarities end. Morocco are desperate to win for two reasons: they are the hosts, and it’s 50 years since they last won the competition. Tonight’s match is only their second final in that time, an unfathomably poor record for such a revered football nation.
Senegal hope to make a different kind of history. This is their third Afcon final in the last four, and they lost on penalties to the eventual winners Ivory Coast in the other one. Victory tonight would create a legacy as one of African football’s greatest teams.
One way or another, history will be made. May the best team win, and to hell with the entertainment. This is about a whole lot more than entertainment,
Kick off 7pm GMT, 8pm in Rabat.
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