The AFCON Final Was Insanity. Here's What Happened.

While most in the city were glued to their TVs for the Bears' tragic loss to the Rams and Indiana's national championship victory, across the world, there was a massive controversy in the world of soccer.

After a lengthy and competitive competition, the AFCON Finals featured two of the titans in African soccer. Both teams won their group in the World Cup 2026 Qualifiers for the region and are the highest-ranking teams on the continent. It was a clash of superpowers. Sadio Mané VS. Achraf Hakimi. Senegal VS. Morocco.

The game had a slow start. Both teams were deadlocked in a 0-0 draw for nearly the entire game. This was seemingly invalidated when Ismaïla Sarr knocked the ball into the net to win the game for Senegal just before stoppage time. However, the celebrations turned to rage when referee Jean-Jacques Ndala disavowed the goal after judging that Senegalese Abdoulaye Seck had fouled Hakimi in the build-up. Those feelings were compounded minutes later when the referee awarded Morocco a controversial penalty after El Hadji Malick Diouf’s challenge on Brahim Díaz. It was a light challenge that was originally not called by the referee, however VAR demanded a reexamination and the ruling was overturned, awarding Morocco a game defining penalty in the dying moments of stoppage time. Senegal, led by head coach Pape Thiaw, left the field entirely. As the players and staff left the field, Sengalese fans began clashing in the stands with match stewards and stadium police. A few Senegal players remained on the field, chief among them being Sadio Mané, who had said this would be his final AFCON game for the national team. The forward seemed intent on his team finishing the match and was seen urging his teammates to come back on the pitch. After a brief conversation with former Senegal player El Hadji Diouf in the stands, Mané ran towards the players’ tunnel to demand that the rest of the squad come back out on the pitch. Eventually, they listened and play resumed after a 14-minute delay.

Attention then turned to Díaz, who was handed the unenviable responsibility of taking the penalty amid such a circus. As he prepared to take the spot-kick, the forward continued to be taunted by the Senegalese players, and the Real Madrid star was clearly feeling the pressure. Diaz attempted a "Panenka", a penalty kick (for those who don't know) which involves a deke and soft chip into the middle of the goal at very slow speeds. It is usually seen as a "cheeky" move for when a team is up by several scores and has its main striker up to take the kick, but Diaz used it in the most extreme of circumstances, and it was easily saved by Édouard Mendy. The effort was so bad that many on social media wondered whether the penalty was missed on purpose. The kick ultimately cost Morocco its first AFCON crown since 1976. The game went into extra-time and Senegal eventually scored a winner through Pape Gueye’s stunning effort, however the headlines from the night had already been written before Senegal held on to win the title. It’s a night that will always be remembered for the circus that ensued, rather than the soccer played on the pitch. It is also a night that showed the challenges facing African soccer as a whole.

While Morocco coach Walid Regragui called the scenes in the final “shameful,” it’s important to consider the wider context around what many would agree to be an embarrassing moment for the sport. There has long been deep-rooted mistrust in African soccer, notably between the national confederations and also between CAF – the continent’s soccer governing body. There was, for instance, a narrative around this particular AFCON that Morocco was being given favorable treatment by officials, both on and off the pitch.

The conspiracy was given extra legs after several refereeing decisions went Morocco’s way early on in the tournament, bringing to the surface concerns that go back years. Also, in the days leading up to the final itself, the Senegalese FA released a statement complaining about the treatment given to the team after it arrived in Morocco, citing security concerns among other issues. It's also worth noting that Morocco has been the most successful African nation on the global stage in recent years, finishing 4th in the 2022 tournament and having notable contributors to several global powerhouses in the world of soccer like Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. The nation is also set to host the 2030 World Cup, along with the Iberian Penninsula Nations of Spain and Portugal. It is a theory, but not an excuse for Senegal's actions during this match.

All of that said, there is one main theory that has yet to be disproven that has been dominating the online sphere. Rumors speculate that Brahim Diaz received death threats from Senegal supporters if he made the penalty. While they sound outlandish, it would explain his penalty kick method, and death threats in any sport are not an uncommon occurance, especially in the world of soccer where, for many countries, this is their pride and joy. Soccer supporters in particular have a history of following up their words. In 1994, famously, Andrés Escobar was assassinated by Colombian fans after his own goal vs the United States in the World Cup snowballed into the team's elimination from the tournamnet. It is worth noting once again that these are only rumors, however with security already being an issue during the tournament, it is still worth considering.

CAF has been quick to denounce what it calls “unacceptable behavior of players and officials” during the final. In a post on social media, FIFA president Gianni Infantino congratulated Senegal for its win while also addressing the “unacceptable scenes on the field and in the stands." The Moroccan FA said Monday it will look into legal action against Senegal’s decision to temporarily leave the field, something it says “had a great effect” on the game. Meanwhile, Senegal head coach Thiaw was unable to attend his post-match press conference due to ongoing clashes in the media center and he may face punishment for his role in leading his players off the pitch in protest.

It was a sad way for this great competition to come to a close, and large controversey that has the world scratching its head. How the CAF responds to the situation will be a model example, not just for the soccer world, but for the sports world as a whole.