By Ibrahim Ibrahim
Senegal were crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday night after edging hosts Morocco in a tense and dramatic final in Rabat.
The Teranga Lions secured their second AFCON title with a narrow extra-time victory over the Atlas Lions at the 69,000-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, adding to the trophy they first won in Cameroon in 2021.
The final lived up to its billing, delivering high drama deep into the night. The match was briefly halted in stoppage time after Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a late penalty following a VAR review.
The decision, which penalised El Hadji Malick Diouf for an apparent foul on Brahim Díaz as a cross came into the box, sparked angry protests from Senegalese players, who momentarily walked off the pitch.
Order was eventually restored after captain Sadio Mané intervened, urging his teammates to return and see out the match. Morocco were handed a golden opportunity to snatch the title at the death, but Díaz — the tournament’s top scorer with five goals — saw his penalty comfortably saved by Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, silencing the home crowd.
With scores level at the end of regulation time, the final went into extra time. Senegal found the decisive breakthrough just four minutes into the additional period when Papa Gueye surged forward, shrugged off Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi and unleashed a powerful strike that beat Yassine Bounou, crashing in off the crossbar.
The goal proved decisive, as Senegal held firm to seal a memorable victory on Moroccan soil and confirm their growing status as a dominant force in African football.
