The Senegal team won the African Cup of Nations for the second time by beating Morocco in a final full of tension and controversies. The outcome came in extra time, when Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal that unleashed euphoria in the Senegalese team and in the public present at the Estadio Moulay Abdellahlocated in the city of Rabat, in Morocco.
The current champion He lifted the title again after his victory in the 2021 African Cup final against Egyptwhich was played in the Olembé Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon. That match had regulation time and an overtime without goals, in this way they decided the winner in the penalty shootout. Over there, Senegal won 4-2, resulting in their first title in the history of the tournament.
The match was characterized by physical intensity, which allowed it to become one of the most disputed and vibrant matches of African football. The definition brought together 60.000 aficionados and generated an environment of very high pressure for the protagonists and, especially, for the local team.
Senegal arrived with the support of its previous consecration and confidence in an experienced team. Morocco, for its part, assumed the natural favoritism that comes with playing at homewith the encouragement of their public and the desire to win the trophy in front of their people. The coach Walid Regragui had previously recognized the importance of “manage emotions and not let the pressure overcome us”, a warning that became central in the development of the match.
The situation at the end of the match was controversial after the referee’s decision to charge a penalty in favor of Morocco at minute 98after the lack of El Hadji Diouf who held Brahim Diaz by the neck, which caused him to fall on the small area. This sparked protest in the Senegalese team that prior to this action was close to opening the scoring. The coach himself Pape Thiaw asked his players to leave the playing field, while Sadio Mane He remained on the court waiting for an official decision from the match judge and possible sanctions for the future if he abandoned the final.
Finally, the VAR resolution determined the penalty for the Moroccan team that He remained at Brahim’s feet. The Real Madrid footballer took on the possibility of lifting the title with his team after 50 yearswhen Morocco became champion for the first and only time in 1976. At that crucial moment the midfielder decided to chip the ball with his shot in front of the goal and It went straight into the hands of goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. The action annulled an unbeatable opportunity to open the scoring and became one of the decisive episodes of the match.
Finally, the champion was known in extra time, when Pape Gueye found space and scored the goal that sealed the Senegalese victory four minutes into the first extra time. In this way, the team that was close to saying goodbye to the tournament, faced the rival’s penalty and triumphed due to its constant pressure.
THE IMPORTANT PRIZE WON SENEGAL FOR BEING CHAMPION
The financial prize for the Africa Cup champion grew considerably in this edition. The team that won the title will receive USD 10 million just to win the final, which means an increase of 43% compared to the USD 7 million that was awarded in the previous championship. Furthermore, if the bonuses obtained in the previous phases are added, the total amount for the African champion reaches USD 12 million.
However, this prize is lower than that distributed in other major continental tournaments. In the Copa America 2024where the Argentina national team won the two-time championship, the winner received USD 16 million for the victory in the final. Additionally, to the incentives for participating and advancing to the round, The accumulated total amounted to USD 20 millionbecause the organization awarded USD 2 million to each team just for competing in the competition and another additional USD 2 million to those who reached the quarterfinals.
The title celebration not only attracted attention for the game, but also for the presence of renowned sports and international entertainment figures. Among the notable guests was Speed, one of the most popular current streamers in the world, who starred in an unexpected moment before the match.
The content creator, known for his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldowas invited by the tournament organization and surprised the spectators by appearing dressed as “Assad”, the mascot of the competition that represents the Atlas Lion, national emblem of Morocco. In his appearance, he greeted the public from the playing field, where he removed his mask and interacted with the people until he returned to the tunnel through which the players enter.
On the other hand, The Nigerian team took third place of the tournament that was resolved from the twelve steps before Egyptin it Mohamed V stadium in Casablanca. The Nigerian team sealed their victory 4-2 with the goal scored by Ademola Lookman in a penalty shootout marked by the errors of the great Egyptian references and the prominence of the Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali who contained the shots Mohamed Salah y Omar Marmoush.
