The rager in Rabat
The images – and emotions – from the most dramatic final in African football history.
Photo: Paul Ellis/AFP
SUNDAY, 8PM: Players assemble in front of 66,526 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. The narrative is so perfect it could have been scripted: Senegal, defending champions, take on hosts Morocco in the final of the African Cup of Nations. Tensions are already high. The day before the game, Senegal’s football federation accused its Moroccan counterpart of failing to provide adequate accommodation, security, and training facilities for the Senegalese players. Senegal is also unhappy about ticket allocations: despite the size of the stadium, only 2,850 tickets were allocated to their fans.
10.03 PM: After a relatively quiet game, with both teams being unusually cautious, referee Jean Jacques Ndala has two pivotal decisions to make. Senegal scores – but Ndala disallows the goal for a push in the build-up. Then, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz tumbles to the ground near Senegal’s goal. Did he fall or was he pulled down? The thousands of people in the stadium, and millions more across the world, wait for him to make a call. After reviewing the video evidence, Ndala jogs back onto the pitch and points to the spot – it’s a penalty for Morocco!
10.04PM: Pandemonium. Senegal’s players are furious. Scuffling breaks out between them and their Moroccan counterparts. The crowd boos at full volume. Riot police deploy to prevent Senegalese fans from running onto the pitch in protest. As the minutes drag on, and the arguing continues, Senegalese coach Pape Thiaw calls his players off the pitch and into the dressing room. Are they coming back? No one knows. This showpiece event, part of the Moroccan state’s efforts to charm the rest of Africa, is descending into farce.
10.14PM: Sadio Mané, Liverpool legend and Senegal superstar, stands on the pitch, hands on hip. Almost all of his teammates have disappeared down the tunnel. Should he stay or should he go? Eventually, he gestures to his teammates – come back! Nothing happens. So he runs into the changing room. We don’t know what he said, but a few minutes later all his teammates are back. Play will resume.
10.18 PM: Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz steps up to take the penalty. This is the most important kick of his life. Score it and Morocco wins its first major title in 50 years. Miss it, and be remembered for nothing else. Diaz tries a trick shot – gently lifting it over the diving goalkeeper. But Édouard Mendy doesn’t dive and makes perhaps the easiest save of his career. Extra time.
10.24PM: Pape Gueye skips and twirls and unleashes a majestic shot from outside the box. It sails in and the small Senegalese contingent inside the stadium is delirious with joy. The rest of the stadium falls silent.
10.59PM: Referee Ndala blows the final whistle. Senegal wins 1-0.
11.10PM: Patrice Motsepe, South Africa’s richest man and head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), goes out of his way to commiserate with the losing Moroccan players. CAF’s live blog of the night contains not a single mention of the walk-off controversy. According to The Africa Report, Motsepe is considering a bid to succeed Cyril Ramaphosa as president of South Africa.
11.20PM: Senegal are crowned as winners of the football tournament. Everyone else is trying to figure out what may have been lost along the way.
This is a great piece, loved it. Just one error: Senegal was not the defending champion coming into the final of AFCON 2025. That was Côte d'Ivoire, which defeated Nigeria to win AFCON 2023.
The timeline format realy brought the tension to life here. I usualy don't follow African football as closely as I should, but this made me feel like I was watching it unfold. The emotional weight of those final moments came through perfectly.