There are only three certainties in life: death, taxes and a dramatic Africa Cup of Nations. However, even by the tournament's extraordinary standards, the final of the 2025 edition was like nothing we've ever seen before - albeit not in a good way. In the 93rd minute of a tense but largely uneventful encounter in Rabat, Senegal had a goal from Ismaila Sarr very harshly disallowed for a perceived foul by Abdoulaye Seck on Achraf Hakimi beforehand. Just moments later, Morocco were awarded a penalty after an invention by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), who had spotted a minor tug on Brahim Diaz's shirt by El Hadji Malick Diouf.
The Super Eagles showed their class with a near-perfect display against the East African nation on Tuesday night in the final pool outing to make three wins in a row. However, it was not a good outing for Paul Put's men, who were eliminated without tasting a win. They lost two games and drew once from the three fixtures.
Djerv 1919
