Gueye’s extra-time thunderbolt delivers second Afcon crown to Senegal amid chaotic finale

An extra-time strike from Pape Gueye secured a second Africa Cup of Nations title for Senegal national football team, as a dramatic and disorderly final denied hosts Morocco national football team a long-awaited continental crown, Sport360NG reports.

The decisive moment came four minutes into extra time in Rabat, but the match will be remembered just as much for the turmoil that closed regulation time. A penalty awarded deep into stoppage time following a VAR review sparked heated confrontations on the touchline and unrest in the stands, prompting Senegal’s players to briefly leave the pitch.

When play eventually resumed, Brahim Diaz had the chance to win the title for Morocco with what was effectively the final kick of normal time. After a prolonged delay, the midfielder attempted a Panenka, only for Edouard Mendy to stand firm and gather the ball with ease.

The fractious scenes were an unfortunate end to a final that had offered few clear-cut chances across 90 minutes, particularly with Morocco presenting the tournament as a showcase ahead of its planned co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Late Controversy Overshadows Tight Contest

Senegal’s celebrations at full-time were muted by the sight of riot police separating players from supporters inside the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The Teranga Lions, many of whom lifted the trophy in 2021, again found a way to prevail, with talisman Sadio Mane hinting this may be his final Afcon appearance.

The hosts edged possession in the opening period, but Senegal fashioned the better opportunities. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou produced sharp saves to deny Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye, while Morocco struggled to convert territorial advantage into genuine threat.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Morocco pushing higher yet failing to carve out decisive openings. Senegal briefly thought they had taken the lead in stoppage time when Ismaila Sarr headed home from a corner, only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul on captain Achraf Hakimi.

That decision proved a prelude to the night’s defining controversy. After eight minutes of added time had been signalled, referee Jean Jacques Ndala was advised by VAR to review a shirt pull on Diaz. The penalty award triggered furious protests, both benches spilling on to the pitch, and Senegal coach Pape Thiaw leading his players down the tunnel as order broke down.

Gueye Decides It in Extra Time

With tensions still simmering, the match moved into extra time, where Gueye delivered the telling blow. The Villarreal midfielder surged forward from just inside the Moroccan half, brushed aside a weary challenge and unleashed a left-footed drive that clipped the underside of the bar on its way in.

Morocco pressed desperately for an equaliser. Nayef Aguerd struck the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner, while substitute Youssef En-Nesyri headed narrowly wide. Senegal, too, had chances to extend their advantage, with Ibrahim Mbaye and Cherif Ndiaye both denied by fine goalkeeping from Bounou.

As rain fell steadily in Rabat, Morocco’s hopes of a first Afcon title since 1976 ebbed away. Despite arriving as Africa’s highest-ranked side and buoyed by years of heavy investment in the game, the hosts became only the fourth nation to lose an Afcon final on home soil.

The fallout from a chaotic conclusion is likely to linger, but for Senegal the outcome was all that mattered. If this was indeed Mane’s final chapter at the tournament, he departed as a champion once more, hoisted aloft by team-mates with the trophy firmly in his grasp.