Brahim Díaz has the chance to decide the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco’s favor. But he takes a penalty like you shouldn’t do – especially not in his situation. The TV experts express clear criticism.
Even the FIFA President couldn’t really offer any consolation. Gianni Infantino took Brahim Díaz in his arms and said a few words to Morocco’s attackers. But Díaz’s gaze seemed empty; there were tears in his eyes. The tragic figure of this Africa Cup final would have been happy to avoid walking through the line of the victorious Senegalese (1-0 after extra time), past the officials shaking hands and towards Infantino. The golden boot presented to him as the tournament’s top scorer couldn’t serve as a balm for the soul after what had happened.
Díaz could have made himself a hero for his country. After a chaotic 20 minutes in stoppage time, in which Senegal’s team unceremoniously left the pitch in protest against the referee’s decisions, the Real Madrid man was on the point. He shouldn’t just convert the extremely controversial penalty to make it 1-0. He was supposed to decide the game and thus the outcome of the tournament immediately before the final whistle (90th + 24th minute).
But Díaz decided otherwise. He also wanted to secure his place in every YouTube compilation of unique football moments – with a Panenka penalty, the ultimate expression of coolness. And he managed to do that, but differently than he had imagined. Díaz became an idiot. He chipped the ball bluntly into the arms of Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. It was a penalty that shouldn’t be taken, especially at such a crucial moment.
There was even speculation on social media as to whether Díaz had intentionally missed the shot in view of the controversy. However, keeper Mendy put a stop to these speculations. “Yes, he wanted to score a goal, I stopped him, and so we have to put this controversy aside,” said the Al-Ahli goalkeeper after the game. “He tried the panenka, I stopped. We kept the team in the game and I helped my team at that moment,” he added.
Díaz’s subsequent reaction would not have been consistent with an intentional miss. First he put his hands together in front of his head, then after being substituted on the bench there were tears in his eyes. Later, the award ceremony was accompanied by a mixture of whistles and applause, during which Díaz appeared visibly dejected.
Criticism of TV experts on Brahim Díaz
The experts around the game found clear criticism of Díaz, but also gave an insight into how the attacker might feel in the near future. “He has disappointed his entire country. The boy will feel really bad for the next few weeks,” said Michél Dinzey, who played for St. Pauli and Braunschweig, among others, in the noughties, on “Sportdigital”. And further: “I have no idea what was going through his head. You don’t take a penalty like that. I feel sorry for the boy, I feel sorry for the whole country.”
“I think Brahim Díaz will have a lot of nightmares in the next few days,” said former Moroccan midfielder Hassan Kachloul (including Aston Villa) on English TV on Channel 4 about the game. And former Nigerian midfielder Jon Obi Mikel (including Chelsea FC) added that the miss “spoils everything that Brahim Díaz did well in this tournament”. Díaz scored five goals and played a key role in reaching the final.
His coach Walid Regragui also sought an explanation. “He had a lot of time before he took the penalty, which certainly unsettled him,” Regragui said. “But we can’t change what happened. He chose to take the penalty like that. Now we have to look forward.” This will be particularly difficult for Díaz.
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