Morocco talisman Brahim Diaz missed a 114th-minute penalty against Senegal in the AFCON final after inexplicably trying a Panenka chip, which was easily saved by opposition goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The Real Madrid ace blew the chance to win the trophy for his country after the Senegal squad had stormed off in protest against the initial award of the penalty.
Sadio Mane has been urged to reverse his retirement decision ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday. Mane will captain Senegal against tournament hosts Morocco tonight as the Lions of Teranga seek to win the competition for just the second time in their history, and the ex-Liverpool man has been vital in their pursuit of glory.
GOAL gives you the details to follow the Teranga Lions' clash with the Atlas Lions at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah on Sunday. This is a deciding match of this continental competition between teams that have each been crowned African champions once before. A lot is at stake in Rabat on Sunday with the hosts out to avoid humiliation on home soil while the West Africans would be keen to cause an upset.
Following the unexpected announcement by the Confederation of African Football a month ago that the Africa Cup of Nations will be staged every four years from 2028, the football fraternity was left with questions, with some publicly criticising the decision and alleging European influence. However, the Masandawana owner has moved to clear the air, firmly denying any involvement from the Western World.
Nigerian singer-songwriter Burna Boy is shouldering the responsibility of championing African culture and heritage by launching a landmark new campaign ahead of Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco. The initiative comprises music, fashion, sport, film and storytelling, aiming to assert ownership of African narratives. To mark the occasion, Burna Boy has dropped a new music video featuring a host of influential figures from the football world.
After falling to beat Morocco in the post-match penalties in the semi-final, this time around, the Super Eagles were sharp as they outclassed the Pharaohs. The West Africans clinched a record-extending AFCON bronze medal following their win over Salah-led Egypt. Now that the battle for bronze has been settled, all eyes are on the ultimate prize, which will be contested for on Sunday between Senegal and the hosts, Morocco.
The Africa Cup of Nations finals is heading to the ultimate stage, and to every South African football fan, they had to believe their team had the ability to reach this stage. However, Bafana were eliminated quite early; Cameroon's Indomitable Lions proved too strong for them and eliminated the 1996 AFCON champions in the Round of 16. Since elimination, criticism, counter-criticism and the blame game have been the order of the day, and many fingers have pointed to one man: Broos.
The Super Eagles came into the match hoping to go all the way and make amends for the shortcomings that saw them finish second two years ago in the Ivory Coast. However, they were not going to get it easy playing the Atlas Lions, who have enjoyed massive home support since the start of the biennial competition.
This is particularly a big blow to Mohamed Salah's individual ambition of winning the international trophy for his country, which has remained an elusive mission in his career so far. For Mane and his teammates, the dream of winning the second AFCON trophy remains very much alive after progressing to the ultimate stage. The win means Senegal have stamped their authority on this fixture, as they have a decent record against the Pharaohs, where they have now won four of their last six games.
While Arne Slot seems to think that Liverpool's starting line-up is stronger without Mohamed Salah, the winger has been conspicuous by his absence in recent weeks, with the Reds struggling to score goals without their talisman. It's clear that they need their Egyptian King back at Anfield as quickly as possible. Salah, though, is desperate to extend his stay at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Indeed, he's not even attempting to hide just how much the tournament means to him.
The Eagles endured a tough time at Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca against the Carthage Eagles to make the last eight of the biennial competition and send their fans into raptures. The North African team were punished for failing to take their chances and coming up with tactics to stop the determined opponents who played with a man less for almost 100 minutes. Ex-Glamour Boys target saved two penalties in the shootout to see his team through.
South Africa is among the 16 teams that made it out of the initial group stage after finishing second in their pool, which had the seven-time champions Egypt who eventually topped it, alongside COSAFA duo Zimbabwe and Angola, who were eliminated. Former Buccaneers tactician hopes to see his country in the final but has branded another team as the 'most dangerous.'
Senegal
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