Senegal secured their second Africa Cup of Nations title with a gritty 1–0 victory over hosts Morocco in Rabat on Sunday night.
The decisive moment came in the first half of extra time when Pape Gueye struck from long range, adding edge to an already ill-tempered final that at times threatened to descend into chaos.
Late drama followed when the referee awarded Morocco a stoppage-time penalty after West Ham defender El Hadji Malick Diouf was judged to have fouled Brahim Díaz while contesting a corner.
The decision sparked furious protests from the Senegalese players, who briefly walked off the pitch as tempers flared between the two technical benches.
Amid mind games from Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Díaz attempted a poorly executed Panenka, which was comfortably gathered by the former Chelsea shot-stopper.
The miss proved pivotal, reigniting Senegal’s momentum.
Moments later, Senegal struck on the counter. Gueye drove forward before unleashing a powerful effort from outside the box that flew past a helpless Yacine Bounou in the Morocco goal.
The Atlas Lions came agonisingly close to forcing an equaliser in the second period of extra time, rattling the post from an Achraf Hakimi corner.
At the other end, Cherif Ndiaye squandered a golden opportunity, firing wide of an open net after Bounou had saved his initial effort.
In the end, Senegal held firm to claim a hard-earned and dramatic continental crown.
