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Shellshocked Real Madrid star in tears after Panenka penalty miss as Morocco lose AFCON final to Senegal
Brahim Diaz's penalty miss proved to be costly as Morocco crashed to a 0-1 defeat to Senegal at the AFCON final.
Brahim Diaz was shellshocked after his Panenka-style penalty was easily saved by Edouard Mendy in Morocco's 0-1 defeat to Senegal at the 2025 AFCON final. The Real Madrid midfielder won the penalty deep into second-half stoppage time, and the score was 0-0. After a VAR check, the referee gave the penalty for a challenge on Diaz by defender El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Angry at the decision, the Senegal players walked off in protest, with manager Pape Thiaw ordering his players back into the dressing room.
Also Read: ‘Shameful image’: Morocco coach fumes over AFCON final chaos, penalty and walk-off drama
The match was halted for almost 20 minutes after several Senegalese fans threw objects and fought with stewards in an attempt to storm the field. Finally, the Senegal players returned, motivated by the likes of Sadio Mane.
After the long delay, Diaz stepped up to take the penalty and ended up going for a Panenka. But Mendy had the last laugh, as the ball came straight to him and he didn't really need to move.
‘He had a lot of time before taking the penalty…’: Morocco head coach
Diaz was substituted early into extra time and was seen having a verbal discussion with head coach Walid Regragui, and was in tears. After the match, Regragui said, "He had a lot of time before taking the penalty which must have disturbed him."
"But we can't change what happened. That is how he chose to take the penalty. We need to look forwards now."
Here is the video of Brahim Diaz’s Panenka penalty and his reaction after missing it:
Meanwhile, Senegal goalkeeper Mendy was also asked about the penalty by Diaz, and what they said to each other. "What did we say to each other? That's between us. We did it together and we came back together, that's all that matters. We can be proud tonight," he said.
In extra time, Papa Gueye's stunning goal proved to be the match-winner, handing Senegal a 1-0 victory in a controversial final.
