The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations threw up few surprises over the past month. At least until late in Sunday’s final, when things went completely off the rails.
A disallowed Senegal goal over a foul, a debatable penalty for Morocco, fan violence in the stands, players walking off the pitch in protest, a poignant display of leadership from Sadio Mane, a saved Brahim Diaz panenka, and finally an extra-time goal from Pape Gueye all made for one wild finish in Rabat.
Senegal clinched their second continental cup from the last three editions, extending Morocco’s 50-year Afcon title drought and dashing home hopes in the process.
The final will understandably linger in people’s minds and will dominate the news cycles for days to come.
But the Afcon as a whole provided many unforgettable moments, a few shocking ones, and narrative shifts that could prove crucial in the upcoming period.
Player of the tournament
It would have to be Senegal’s Sadio Mane, who was a real difference-maker for the champions.
The Al Nassr star scored the winner in the semi-final against Egypt, created the most chances (18) at this Afcon, all from open play, and showed incredible leadership during the final when he went into the locker room to fetch his teammates after they had walked off the pitch in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco in the dying moments of regulation time.
Senegal’s coach Pape Thiaw is the one who asked the players to leave the pitch, but Mane sought advice from ex-Senegal manager Claude Leroy, and former players El Hadji Diouf and Mamadou Niang, who were on the sidelines watching the mess unfold. All urged him to resume the match.
With tempers flaring on and off the pitch, Mane helped calm things down and brought the Senegal squad back to complete the game.
“We’re going to play like real men,” Mane was heard saying as he ushered his teammates back to the field.
His poise and wisdom in that moment were instantly rewarded as Brahim Diaz’s panenka attempt was saved and Senegal clinched victory via Pape Gueye’s extra-time goal.
Mane has said that he plans to retire from international competition after this summer's World Cup, but given the calibre of the younger talent coming through, Senegal have little to worry about.
Goal of the tournament
There were plenty of stunners throughout the tournament, which set a new record of 121 goals scored in a single Afcon.
There were Ayoub El Kaabi’s two bicycle kick goals for Morocco and Adil Boulbina’s extra-time strike that sent Algeria into the quarter-finals, but the award for best goal has to go to Gueye, who somehow found the composure to score the title-winning goal for Senegal four minutes into extra time of a chaotic final.
Heartbreaking end for Diaz
Brahim was one penalty kick away from leaving Morocco as a national hero.
The Real Madrid midfielder made history earlier in the tournament when he became the first player to score in five consecutive Afcon games – a feat that earned him the Golden Boot on Sunday.
However, one poorly executed panenka later and Brahim went from hero to villain, leaving the home crowd at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium speechless.
The defeat – and how it unfolded – will undoubtedly sting for a while, but overall, Brahim can take positives from his first Afcon experience.
The 26-year-old has not been a major factor in Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid squad so far this campaign, having started just four games across both La Liga and the Uefa Champions League before flying to Morocco in late December.
When he returns to the club, he’ll find a new coach in the dugout after Alvaro Arbeloa was installed as first-team coach in the wake of Alonso’s sacking.
Brahim was reinvigorated at Afcon. Morocco coach Walid Regragui described him as “an X-factor for us, someone who can score in every play, but what is more important for us is how he runs for the team and how he drives this offensive style we want".
He has proven his value for Morocco ahead of this summer’s World Cup and can use his momentum from Afcon to earn his place as a starter for Real Madrid.
Egypt’s Europe-based trio have work to do
On paper, Egypt overachieved by reaching the semi-finals in Morocco, given the lack of depth in the squad and the quality of their players compared to the rosters of their major continental rivals.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Omar Marmoush (Manchester City), and Mostafa Mohamed (Nantes) were the only three European-based players to feature in Hossam Hassan’s squad, and even they each touched down in Agadir struggling for game time at their respective clubs.
Hassan famously said before the tournament that he has “two-and-a-quarter Europe-based players” on the team. The quarter he was referring to was Mohamed.
Salah joked during the Afcon that he and Marmoush were in the same boat as Mohamed, saying: “We’re now three-quarters, not two and a quarter”.
Both Salah and Marmoush are in a similar position to Brahim – they had strong performances during the tournament before finishing on a sour note as the duo missed their penalties in Egypt’s loss to Nigeria in the bronze-medal match.
Salah enjoyed his best Afcon to date. The 33-year-old scored four goals in Morocco and is just two away from breaking Hassan’s national team record of 69.
Meanwhile, Marmoush netted two crucial goals, in Egypt’s opener against Zimbabwe, and in the quarter-final against Ivory Coast.
Both will now return to England, hoping to earn back their places at their respective clubs.
Mohamed barely features in Hassan’s plans and played a total of just nine minutes across the last-16, quarter-finals and semi-finals in Morocco, despite being Egypt’s only out-and-out striker.
He will have his work cut out for him when he returns to France and will have to find a way to get some playing time to become a factor for the Pharaohs at the World Cup this summer
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Bounou and El Aynaoui left it all out on the field
Are there any superlatives left to describe Yassine Bounou? The Moroccan was a worthy winner of the Golden Glove and pulled off some incredible saves in the final against Senegal, just a few days after he heroically saved two penalties to secure a shoot-out victory over Nigeria in the semis.
The Al Hilal goalkeeper kept five clean sheets in seven matches and proved once again why he is considered one of the best on the planet.
In midfield, Neil El Aynaoui was a true revelation. A key figure for the Atlas Lions this tournament, the Roma midfielder played every single minute of Morocco’s seven matches, excelling both on the ball and off it.
El Aynaoui suffered a shocking head collision in the second half of the final and needed medical attention for his bloodied forehead for nearly eight minutes. With his head bandaged, El Aynaoui changed his shirt and stepped right back on the pitch to finish the match – a decision that seemed unwise but somewhat expected from a player who was willing to die on the field for his country.
Nigeria will be missed at the World Cup
Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi and Co. put on a show in Morocco and would have been worthy finalists had they survived the penalty shoot-out against the hosts.
The Super Eagles scored 14 goals throughout the tournament and were truly entertaining, showcasing the kind of fast-paced attacking football they should have displayed during their unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign.
Off-field problems, multiple coaching changes, and sub-par performances meant that Nigeria were unable to clinch one of the 48 spots at this summer’s expanded World Cup. The 35th Afcon was a reminder of how big of a miss they will be in North America.
Sudan’s unusual record
War-torn Sudan made history as the first team to qualify for the knockouts at Afcon without scoring a single goal in the group stage.
An own goal from Equatorial Guinea’s Saoul Koko was enough to send Sudan through to the last 16, where they scored first to lead Senegal before losing 3-1.
Unfortunate scenes mar eventful final
The ugly side of football reared its head during the final with several shocking videos revealing violent clashes between the Senegalese fans and Moroccan security.
Other scenes saw Senegal backup goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf struggle to protect Edouard Mendy’s towel from Moroccan ballkids, who dragged him on the field as they tried to steal it.
Between that and the Senegalese players briefly walking off the pitch in protest, it was an unfortunate end to what had otherwise been a fantastic and highly competitive tournament.
