Winners and losers of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations: Living legend Sadio Mane, Senegal's shameful walk-off and more misery for Mohamed Salah

Before Sadio Mane came along, Senegal had never won the Africa Cup of Nations. They've now lifted the trophy twice in the past five years - and Mane is the main reason why.

The 33-year-old obviously remains a tremendously talented footballer. He proved that with his goals, assists and constant creativity in Morocco. However, Mane is also a leader of men, the kind of character that sets an example that others follow. It, thus, came as no surprise to see Mane ordering his team-mates to return to the field after their furious reaction to the injury-time penalty decision in Sunday's final.

So, while the sight of Senegal leaving the field in Rabat left a seriously sour taste in the mouth at the end of this AFCON, it was at least sweet to see Mane belatedly rewarded for his performances and sportsmanship with the appropriately titled 'Man of the Competition' award.

"Football is something special," the former Liverpool winger said after receiving the accolade for the second time. "The world was watching, so we have to give a good image for football. I think it would be crazy to not play this game because what, the referee gave a penalty and we go out of the game? I think that would be the worst thing, especially in African football. I'd rather lose than this kind of thing happen to our football."

If there was any doubt before, there isn't anymore: Sadio Mane is a living legend.

It feels so, so harsh to class Brahim Diaz as a 'loser' - even if we're using the term solely in the context of the 2025 AFCON. The Real Madrid attacker had a fantastic campaign (at least up until the quarter-finals) and, at 26 years old, it felt as if the one-time child prodigy had finally come of age. The tournament's top scorer netted in five consecutive games and, more importantly than anything else, the one-time Spain international appeared utterly at home in Morocco.

However, while Brahim might one day be able to look back with pride on his performances at the 2025 AFCON, that day feels a long, long way away right now. The diminutive forward had the kind of chance to win a major international tournament that most of us can only dream about, and he botched it - in the most farcical fashion possible.

There are people who'll tell you that a 'Panenka' can be the best option in certain circumstances - but, as Brahim now knows to his likely eternal cost, there is no worse way to miss a penalty. With one stupid spot-kick, Brahim "threw away all of his glorious moments," former Nigeria striker Daniel Amokachi quite correctly pointed out on BBC Sport.

Mohamed Salah was the first to admit that Egypt didn't have anything like the strongest squad at the AFCON. He was just one of three Pharaohs plying their trade in Europe and, as the winger pointed out himself with the broadest of smiles of his face, he could no longer even claim to be certain starter for his club.

Such humility and humour typified Hossam Hassan's side. The players all got along with one another, and to such an extent that Salah described it as "the best international camp" he'd ever been involved in.

However, Egypt's unity, coupled with Salah's star quality, wasn't enough to get them over the line. The Liverpool winger was directly involved in five goals in Morocco - his best-ever tally at an AFCON despite reaching the final in both 2017 and 2021 - but Egypt were atrocious in their semi-final against Senegal, and Salah anonymous. That a terrible game in Tanger was settled by his nemesis, Mane, only cast the Pharaohs' captain in an even more unfavourable light.

Salah is still only 33, of course. He is going to get at least one more shot at winning the AFCON in 2027 (and probably another in 2028), but whether he'll have a better opportunity to lift the trophy is debatable. And the issue is not so much Salah's age but the fact that there wasn't a single player in Hassan's squad under 24 years old, meaning this isn't a side on the rise but a team in transition. 

Egypt may be the most successful nation in AFCON history, but there's now a very real chance that the career of their greatest-ever player will be considered a failure.

Miguel Angel Gamondi only took over as Tanzania coach a couple of weeks before the AFCON began - and yet still managed to lead a team ranked 112th in the world into the knockout stage for the first time in the nation's history. Consequently, while the Argentine wasn't best pleased with some of the officiating in his side's last-16 loss to Morocco, he had nothing but nice things to say about his players.

"The country should be proud of them," Gamondi said. "We had a very good tactical approach, and we tried to attack and play. The truth is, I am happy with the level we showed."

The Taifa Stars didn't actually win a game at the tournament, with draws with Uganda and Tunisia ultimately proving sufficient to progress as the fourth and final third-placed finisher on goal difference, but Gamondi felt that convincing the players to ditch their "mentality of underdogs" was a victory in itself.

"We no longer aspire only for honourable participation," he declared. "We believe in our ability to go far." And they have every chance of doing so if the vastly experienced Gamondi is allowed to build upon the solid foundations he so rapidly laid in Morocco.

A spot in the AFCON quarter-finals was there for the taking for Tunisia. They were 1-0 up on 10-man Mali in the sixth minute of injury time when disaster struck. Yassine Meriah handled the ball in the area and Lassine Sinayoko's successful spot-kick enabled The Eagles to first force extra-time, and then a penalty shoot, which they won, to leave Sami Trabelsi in a state of shock.

"There is great disappointment and pain after our elimination from the competition," the coach admitted. "We were in control, but unfortunately after scoring, something incomprehensible happened and we made a mistake. It is true that we could have qualified, as our opponents played with 10 men from the end of the first half, but it did not happen. 

"The players gave everything they had in a match we largely controlled, and we cannot blame them. The responsibility for the loss lies with the coach."

The Tunisian FA concurred, and Trabelsi was fired less than 24 hours later - and just four months after helping the national team qualify for the World Cup without conceding a single goal.

While watching Nigeria comfortably defeat both Tunisia and Algeria on their run to the last four of the Africa Cup of Nations, it was impossible not to wonder how on earth the star-studded Super Eagles had failed to qualify for the World Cup. However, their terribly tame semi-final loss to Morocco showed that there is something not quite right about the country's latest 'Golden Generation'. The talent is undoubtedly there, but there are serious question marks over their temperament. 

In that sense, Victor Osimhen rather personifies Nigeria's problem. There's a reason why he's currently plying his trade in Turkey - and it's nothing to do with a lack of ability. 

Osimhen is an outstanding striker, as he once again underlined in Morocco, but he's also a very peculiar character who can go from celebrating with a team-mate one minute to berating him the next. It's an awful shame, because there is so much to like about Osimhen - and his remarkable rise to stardom - but his on-field row with Ademola Lookman was the abiding image of Nigeria's campaign. 

Most players have to actually leave Manchester United to get their careers back on track. Amad Diallo, though, just had to get away for a while.

In fairness to the 23-year-old, he'd arguably been one of United's better players before departing for the AFCON - although that really isn't saying much. In Morocco, though, Amad was different class, winning three Player of the Match awards from four starts, while at the same time scoring more goals (three) than he had in 16 appearances for his club so far this season.

The reason for the difference in output was rather obvious: being played in his preferred position by Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae. "I play as a wing-back when I am at United. Here, I play as a right winger," Amad said.

It seems Ruben Amorim's short-term successor at United, Michael Carrick has taken note of that rather novel approach, because it's not just a positive development for Amad, but everyone at Old Trafford.

The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) publicly called on CAF and FIFA to launch an investigation into Issa Sy's handling of their quarter-final loss to Nigeria. However, the real purpose of the formal complaint was to deflect attention away from what had been an insipid display from The Desert Warriors, who had failed to register a single shot on target in an AFCON game for the first time in 11 years.

Indeed, it was telling that while questioning "the credibility of the African referee", the FAF also made a plea for The Fennecs' followers to keep faith with coach Vladimir Petkovic and his players, arguing that "collective cohesion, calmness and support" were required for a team "going through a reconstruction phase".

In fairness, the show of support for the coach had masterminded Algeria's return to the World Cup finals for the first time in 12 years was perfectly understandable - and justified. However, the attack on the match officials was utterly uncalled for, particularly as Petkovic himself admitted that the far better team on the night had progressed to the semi-finals!

Yohan Roche's campaign couldn't have got off to a worse start, with the defender gifting Theo Bongonda the only goal of the game in Benin's tournament-opener against DR Congo. Roche, though, responded in the best possible fashion. As well as playing a pivotal role in The Cheetahs keeping a clean sheet in their next outing, he also scored the winner as Benin beat Botswana 1-0 to record the country's first-ever AFCON win - and secure their spot in the knockout stage.

"It is a source of immense pride," Roche said. "We were aware of the people's expectations and this goal is particularly touching for me after the difficulties of the first match."

Benin eventually bowed out in the last 16, but only after taking Egypt to extra-time - which only served to underline just how much progress the team has made over the past three years under German coach Gernot Rohr.

"What I take away from tonight is the attitude of the players, their solidarity and fighting spirit," Rohr said. "That is a very big positive for the future of The Cheetahs."

Gabon's AFCON campaign did not go well. A team expected to at least make the last 16 finished bottom of their group after losing to Cameroon, Ivory Coast and even Mozambique. However, nobody could have foreseen how the Gabonese government would react to the country's early exit.

After the 3-2 defeat by Ivory Coast that ended Gabon's chances of reaching the knockout stage, then-sports minister Simplice-Desire Mamboula appeared on television to read a statement announcing the dissolution of Thierry Mouyouma's coaching staff, the suspension of the national team, and the exclusion of key players Bruno Ecuele Manga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang due to "The Panthers' disgraceful performance at the Africa Cup of Nations".

After a cabinet reshuffle, the ban was lifted less than two weeks later, but there was to be no reprieve for Mouyouma and his backroom team. Indeed, Mamboula's successor, Paul Ulrich Kessany, stated on January 13 that finding a new coach is a matter of great "urgency", given qualification for the next AFCON will begin in just over two months' time.

One can be sure, though, that FIFA will be watching the situation closely, as any further government interference could result in another, more comprehensive and more damaging suspension for Gabon.

Chiquinho Conde represented Mozambique for 15 years as a player. During that time, he knew nothing but AFCON misery. As he told CAFOnline, "We lost all the time. It was discouraging and heart-breaking because we always put in so much effort but never got a result."

Conde also failed to pick up a win as coach at the 2023 AFCON, with Mozambique eliminated after two draws and a defeat. This time around, though, Mozambique finally picked up their first-ever finals win by stunning Gabon in one of the games of the tournament, and thanks to their 3-2 victory in Agadir, The Mambas ended up going through to the last 16.

"To achieve this now, with this new generation, means everything to me," Conde admitted. "We created a model and adapted it to the qualities of our players. We identified our weaknesses, especially defensively, and started by changing the mindset. It was difficult at first, but we kept working, and the players began to believe.

"We worked with strict principles. If someone didn’t accept them, they had to leave. My way is structure, hard work, and discipline. So, this is special for us. Our people needed this. They go through a lot, and we have a responsibility to make them happy."

Nigeria unsurprisingly proved too big a hurdle for Mozambique to overcome in the knockouts, but as Conde was quick to point out, "These players are now stars. They have taken their place in Mozambique's history."

This was supposed to be Morocco's moment. They'd only won the AFCON once - and that was all the way back in 1976. However, the tournament was there for the taking for a team that had finished fourth at the 2022 World Cup and not lost a competitive fixture on home soil for 17 years.

"It's a big responsibility, but it’s one we accept with pride," coach Walid Regragui said just before The Atlas Lions' kicked-off their campaign. "There are supporters who have dreamed of this trophy staying in Morocco since 1976, and the sacred union between the team and the fans will be crucial. This pressure must be positive, and even if it becomes negative, we'll handle it."

They didn't, though. Morocco never looked entirely comfortable in the knockout stage, and needed penalties to overcome Nigeria in the semi-finals. They produced another nervy display in the tournament-decider and, once talisman Brahim blew a glorious chance to win the game, there was an air of inevitability about the hosts' extra-time defeat.

Morocco remain a top team. They've every chance of getting out of their group at the World Cup, but only if they somehow manage to put the events of Sunday behind them. In 50 years of hurt, they've never suffered a more painful loss.

One can understand why Pape Thiaw momentarily lost his mind in Rabat. Less than three minutes after seeing his side dubiously denied a winning goal, they conceded a soft penalty.

However, while that explains Thiaw's response, it doesn't excuse it - as there was simply no justification for him ushering his players off the field, and into the dressing room. It caused chaos on the pitch and in the stands - which was painfully ironic given the Senegal coach had criticised host nation Morocco over a lack of security at their hotel on the eve of the game. 

"My players could have been in danger," he said. "That type of thing should not happen between two brother countries." Nor should a shameful walk-off, though, and thankfully he eventually admitted his mistake not long after the conclusion of the final.

"I don't want to go over all the incidents but I apologise for the football," Thiaw, who clashed with his Morocco counterpart Regragui after the game, told beIN Sports. "After reflecting on it I made them come back [on the pitch] - you can react in the heat of the moment. We accept the errors of the referee. We shouldn't have done it but it's done and now we present our apologies to football."

Whether those apologies will prove sufficient for the coach, his players and the Senegalese FA to avoid being severely disciplined by CAF remains to be seen, as Thiaw's team were unquestionably responsible for bringing the entire tournament into disrepute.