In the Africa Cup of Nations final on January 18, 2026, Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 to claim the title. However, just 30 minutes before their triumph, they were staging a walkout in protest against a controversial refereeing decision.
Deep into stoppage time of regular play, the referee awarded Morocco a penalty after a VAR review.
Extremely dissatisfied with this decision, the entire Senegal team left the pitch in protest for approximately 20 minutes.
Upon returning to the field, facing a Panenka penalty (an attempt to outwit the goalkeeper with a delicate chip) taken by Morocco’s Brahim Díaz, Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy remained calm and comfortably saved the shot.
Having survived this scare, Senegal then scored the winning goal in extra time through Pape Gueye, ultimately securing the championship.
