Senegal’s players sprinted away in celebration at the full time whistle, after they stunned Morocco 1-0 in the 2025 AFCON final in Rabat. The Teranga Lions claimed a second Africa Cup of Nations title on Sunday (18 January).
The decisive moment came in the first period of extra time, when Pape Gueye collected a pass from Idrissa Gana Gueye, surged into the Moroccan area and drove a left-footed finish beyond Yassine Bounou.
Extra time followed a dramatic conclusion to regulation play. Morocco were awarded a late penalty, prompting Senegal’s players to walk off in protest before being persuaded to return. When play resumed, Brahim Díaz’s spot-kick, an audacious panenka, was saved by Édouard Mendy, sending the final into an unlikely additional 30 minutes.
Under the pouring rain, Senegal, who will host the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics, ground out the win to secure a second continental title. They have now won two of the last three AFCON titles, having also won the title in 2022.
As the stadium slowly emptied of disconsolate Moroccan supporters, the reality of the hosts’ long wait for a first continental title in half a century set in. That search will now roll on until at least 2027, when the Africa Cup of Nations is staged across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
