From Grandeur to Disgrace: How the AFCON 2025 Spectacle Ended in Shame

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 0916 EAT on Monday 19 Janaury 2026

The popular saying that ‘boats tend to capsize near docks’ perfectly encapsulates the unfortunate conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, which ended on Sunday, 18th January 2026, in Rabat, Morocco. Despite the month-long display of excellent organisation, thrilling matches, and world-class football, it is the shameful finale that will linger in the memories of many. As Senegal faced Morocco in the highly anticipated final, what should have been the crowning moment of the tournament instead left a stain on its legacy.

Few will recall the deep baritone of Idris Elba, the vibrant and well-executed closing ceremony, or the viral moment when IShowSpeed made a cameo as Assad, the tournament’s official mascot.

All of that faded into oblivion in a flash as chaos erupted during the closing minutes of normal time. A tournament that had long served as a shining advertisement for African football will now, tragically, be remembered for the bizarre and chaotic events that unfolded in its final moments.”

“The match kicked off promptly at 8:00 PM local time in Rabat, featuring two teams that had rightfully earned their place in the final after impressive journeys throughout the tournament. Morocco, despite a shaky start, steadily grew into the competition, while Senegal asserted their dominance from the very beginning. The final, therefore, was a fitting culmination to what had been a thrilling tournament, and the on-field action lived up to the anticipation.

Both sides had their fair share of opportunities, with goalkeepers Yassine Bounou of Morocco and Édouard Mendy of Senegal called into action on multiple occasions. Bounou was at his best, denying Papa Gueye, Iliman Ndiaye, and substitute Ibrahim Mbaye at crucial moments. On the other side, Mendy made a crucial save, spreading his body to force Ayoub El Kabi to miss the target after being set up by Bilal El Khannouss.”

“Two minutes into the five added minutes, substitute Ismaila Sarr thought he had put Senegal ahead, but his goal was swiftly ruled out by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala. The referee called a foul on Achraf Hakimi by Abdoulaye Seck during the build-up, though replays suggested minimal contact.

With the match seemingly heading toward its conclusion, referee Ndala was summoned by the VAR team, led by Pierre Atcho, to review an incident involving Senegal’s El Hadji Malick Diouf, who had pulled Brahim Diaz during a Morocco corner kick. After a lengthy review, Ndala pointed to the penalty spot, a decision that sparked outrage among Senegal’s players and staff.

The tension exploded into chaos. The Lions of Teranga vehemently protested the call, and a scuffle broke out between the two technical benches. Senegal’s head coach, Pape Bouna Thiaw, even walked onto the pitch, ordering his players to leave the field. In the stands, frustrated Senegalese fans attempted to storm the pitch, clashing with stewards in a violent confrontation. The situation quickly escalated, with police stepping in to restore order. The brawl resulted in damaged chairs, broken LED advertising screens behind one of the goals, and several individuals sustaining minor injuries.”

“Meanwhile, on the field, Sadio Mané urged his teammates to continue playing, but they chose to return to the dressing rooms instead. It took the intervention of football legends like El Hadji Diouf and renowned coach Claude Le Roy—along with possibly other unseen officials—to persuade the players to return to the pitch. Mané ran to the dressing room, convincing his teammates to resume the game. After 17 minutes of intense drama, the penalty was finally taken, only for Brahim Diaz to miss with a panenka attempt that was easily collected by Senegal’s goalkeeper, Édouard Mendy.

In the aftermath, Mané spoke about the importance of maintaining composure, saying: “Football is something special, the world was watching, so we have to give a good image for the game. I think it would be crazy to not play this game just because the referee gave a penalty and we go out of the game. I think that would be the worst thing, especially in African football. I’d rather lose than let something like this tarnish our football. It’s really bad.

Football should not stop for 10 minutes, but what can we do? We have to accept what happened, but the important thing is that we came back, played, and the rest is history.” His comments were quoted by BBC Sport.

On the other hand, Senegal’s coach, Pape Bouna Thiaw, expressed his dissatisfaction in an interview with beIN Sports, saying: “We didn’t agree with the decision. I don’t want to go over all the incidents, but I apologise for what happened in football today.””

“Reflecting on the chaotic events, Senegal’s head coach, Pape Bouna Thiaw, acknowledged the emotional reaction from his players but emphasized the need for resolution: ‘After reflecting on it, I made them come back [onto the pitch]. In the heat of the moment, you can react, but we accept the errors of the referee. We shouldn’t have done it, but it’s done, and now we present our apologies to football.’ (Credit: Kawowo)

Despite the turmoil, Senegal found redemption when Papa Gueye scored the only goal in extra time, securing a 1-0 victory and guiding the Lions of Teranga to their second Africa Cup of Nations title.

As the curtain falls on what had otherwise been a spectacular tournament, the ugly scenes that unfolded – players walking off the pitch, fights erupting in the stands, and Moroccan journalists booing coach Thiaw during the post-match press conference – have left a dark stain on AFCON 2025.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will likely be forced to issue a strong statement in the coming days, possibly accompanied by significant fines for those involved in the mayhem.”

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