AFCON 2025 final timeline unfolds dramatically! What did Mané say? Why Senegal players agreed to return to play.
On 19 Jan 2026 GMT+7, the AFCON 2025 final at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Morocco ended with Senegal's victory amid intense drama in the last 30 minutes that nearly caused the match to collapse.
Tensions flared during stoppage time at 90+2 minutes when Senegal scored a goal that was then disallowed for a minor foul without VAR review, causing strong dissatisfaction.
The situation grew more tense at 90+8 minutes when hosts Morocco were awarded a penalty after the referee reviewed VAR and found Brahim Diaz had his shirt pulled inside the penalty area.
At 90+12 minutes, Senegal head coach Pape Thiao ordered his players off the pitch, halting the game for over 14 minutes, with high chances Senegal would forfeit, allowing Morocco to celebrate a home victory.
Then the hero emerged: Sadio Mané, still on the field, rallied his teammates to continue playing, saying, “We will play like men; back on the pitch right now!” His words led the team to resume the match at 90+21 minutes.
The decisive moment came at 90+24 minutes when Brahim Diaz took a Panenka-style penalty, but Edouard Mendy anticipated it perfectly and made an excellent save.
In extra time, Pape Gueye struck a beautiful long-range goal, securing a 1-0 win for Senegal over Morocco and clinching the AFCON 2025 championship in grand fashion.
After the game, a reporter asked Mané why he refused to go inside like his teammates. Mané replied, “Because referees can make mistakes, their decisions are not always fair, and most importantly, I did it for people around the world—they wanted to watch the game.”