Senegal Win: Dramatic African Championship Final

Senegal followed up their 2021 title at the Africa Cup of Nations. They won their sixth of seven matches at the championship and failed to concede a fifth. World Cup fourth-placed Morocco are waiting for their second continental championship victory in 50 years.

Dramatic scenes were seen at the set time of regular playing time. After video review, the referee awarded a penalty kick to Morocco for a tackle on Brahim Díaz by former star player and current West Ham player El Hadji Malick Diouf. The Senegalese protested vehemently and their coach Pape Bouna Thiaw took them off the pitch.

Nevertheless, captain Sadio Mané convinced the team to come back and after fourteen minutes from the whistle and in total in the 24th minute of the set time, the top scorer of the tournament with five goals, Díaz stood up to take the penalty. Real Madrid’s attacking midfielder attempted a dunk, but Senegalese goalkeeper Édouard Mendy stood his ground and his half-high shot was easily caught in the basket.

Gueye scored the only goal of the game shortly after the official extra time started. The Villarreal midfielder hit the top corner of the goal to provide Senegal’s first goal in the fourth final: the “Lions of Teranga” achieved their previous title in a penalty shootout after a goalless game. Morocco came close to equalizing shortly after, but Najif Adjuird headed over the crossbar.

In the duel for bronze in Casablanca, over 38,000 spectators waited in vain for a goal. Extra time was not played and the decision had to be made in a shootout, in which star Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmúš failed on the Egyptian side right from the start. Liverpool and Manchester City forwards were caught by Stanley Nwabali.

The decisive penalty was converted by Atalanta striker Ademola Lookman and the Nigerians won bronze for the ninth time in history after the silver in the last championship. The seven-time champions from Egypt, as the most successful country in the African Cup of Nations, were left without a medal for the second time in a row.