Rarely does a single penalty carry the weight of an entire tournament, but Brahim Díaz‘s missed Panenka in the AFCON 2025 final did exactly that. Morocco faced Senegal in the final, with the match eventually decided in extra time as Senegal won 1-0. Before that outcome, Morocco had been awarded a stoppage-time penalty that could have sealed the title. Díaz stepped up to take it, chose a Panenka, and saw Édouard Mendy save it comfortably by simply staying on his feet and catching the ball.
A stoppage-time Panenka, a final on the line, and Mendy simply stood there and caught it.
The choice of technique drew immediate scrutiny. Attempting a chipped, delicate finish in the closing seconds of a continental final is a high-risk decision, especially when a firm, direct strike would have offered fewer opportunities for the goalkeeper to react. Adding to the difficulty, the kick came after a delay of roughly 10 to 17 minutes, caused by Senegal players briefly leaving the pitch in protest. That interruption disrupted the rhythm and focus needed for such a moment, arriving when Morocco was just a minute from being crowned African champions. Díaz, regarded as one of the rising stars of the Atlas Lions, had been expected to be a key attacking figure for Morocco throughout the tournament, alongside fellow young talent Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, another dynamic winger who has become central to the team’s attacking identity.
Walid Regragui’s reaction on the touchline was immediate and visible. Footage showed the coach visibly angry, confronting Díaz and appearing to ask why he had chosen that method. Díaz was seen in tears, with Youssef En-Nesyri among those helping him toward the bench while Regragui continued to express his frustration. The substitution of Díaz early in extra time reinforced how seriously the coach viewed the moment.
In later comments, Regragui shifted tone. He acknowledged the disruption caused by the delay, criticizing the stoppage as something that halted the match “in the eyes of the world” and describing Senegal’s protest as damaging to Africa’s image. Still, he made clear that the circumstances did not excuse the execution of the penalty itself. Responsibility, he said, had to be accepted.
The episode illustrates how fine the margins are in knockout football. A single technical decision, made under pressure and after an unusual delay, defined the outcome of a major final and left both player and coach dealing with its consequences.
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