Moroccan midfielder Brahim Diaz has apologised for his penalty miss in Sunday’s AFCON 2025 final against Senegal.
In the keenly contested final, a controversial VAR review led the referee to award Morocco a penalty for a foul on Brahim Díaz inside the penalty area late in stoppage time. This sparked wild reactions from the Senegalese players and technical staff, who strongly disputed the call and briefly walked off the pitch, causing a significant delay to the match.
Play was halted for approximately 14 to 17 minutes before order was restored and the teams returned to the field, When the penalty was eventually taken, Brahim Díaz opted for a Panenka-style attempt, gently chipping the ball down the middle in an effort to deceive the goalkeeper. Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy remained central, read the attempt correctly, and comfortably caught the ball, denying Morocco a decisive late goal.
Brahim Diaz’s Apology
In a statement on Monday, the Real Madrid midfielder said “My soul hurts. I dreamed of this title thanks to all the love you all gave me, every message, every show of support that made me feel I wasn’t alone. I fought with everything I had, with my heart above all else. Yesterday I failed and I take full responsibility.
“I apologize from the bottom of my heart. It will be hard for me to recover, because this wound doesn’t heal easily… but I will try. Not for myself, but for everyone who believed in me and for everyone who suffered with me. I will keep going forward until one day I can give you all this love back and become a source of pride for my Moroccan people.”
Moroccan FA to Institute Legal Proceedings Against FA
In the aftermath of Sunday’s final the Moroccan Football association has threatened legal proceedings against the Senegalese FA.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation announces that it will resort to legal channels with the Confederation of African Football and the International Federation of Association Football regarding the withdrawal of the Senegalese national team from the final match venue against the Moroccan national team, and the events that accompanied it, following the referee’s decision to award a valid penalty kick by consensus among the officials. This had a significant impact on the normal course of the match and on the morale of the players.” It said in a statement.