Senegal’s dramatic extra-time win over hosts Morocco capped a record‑breaking AFCON 2025 that mixed high-quality football with major controversy on and off the pitch.
Senegal’s chaotic road to a second title
Senegal beat Morocco 1–0 after extra time in Rabat to claim their second Africa Cup of Nations crown, adding to their maiden title from 2021. Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal early in extra time, silencing a packed Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium and flipping the script on a night that had looked destined for a Moroccan coronation.
The match was overshadowed by officiating drama: Senegal had a goal from Ismaila Sarr ruled out in stoppage time, then saw Morocco awarded a late penalty that Brahim Díaz squandered with a failed Panenka attempt. In protest at the decisions, Senegal coach Pape Thiaw briefly ordered his players off the pitch before they eventually returned, adding an unprecedented layer of tension to an AFCON final.
Morocco’s superb hosting and broken dream
Morocco delivered one of the most polished tournaments Africa has seen, rolling out nine modern stadiums across six cities and dedicated base camps for all 24 teams. The infrastructure, logistics and pitch quality drew widespread praise and were widely credited for raising the overall level of play during the month‑long competition.
On the field, the hosts looked poised to complete the story after their 2022 World Cup semi-final run, conceding just two goals in seven matches behind standout goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Their dream ended brutally in Rabat as Díaz missed from the spot and Senegal struck in extra time, turning what could have been a crowning home triumph into one of the most painful defeats in Moroccan football history.
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Goals galore and AFCON’s new scoring record
AFCON 2025 set a new benchmark for attacking output, finishing as the highest‑scoring edition in tournament history with 120 goals. The tally edged past the 119 goals scored at AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast, underlining how the expanded 24‑team format has shifted the competition toward more open, front‑foot football.
The improved surfaces in Morocco, coupled with deeper attacking depth across the continent, helped produce a steady flow of high‑quality chances and spectacular strikes throughout the group and knockout stages. Even though the final itself was cagey, the overall scoring haul reinforced AFCON’s reputation as one of the game’s most unpredictable and entertaining international tournaments.
Ghana’s shock absence from Morocco 2025
For the first time since 2004, the four‑time champions failed to reach the Africa Cup of Nations, finishing bottom of their qualifying Group F with three points from six matches. It was a shock to top betting companies in Ghana. Reputable sites like BetZillion were very keen on Ghana doing well before the qualifications. With Spark Media LTD running the oddsmaker, fans and bettors were equally as stunned by the Black Stars’ absence.
Drawn alongside Angola, Sudan and Niger, the Black Stars ended with a record of 0 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses, with a goal difference of . A late equaliser in a 1–1 draw away to Angola and home defeats to both Angola and Niger proved decisive, mathematically ending their AFCON hopes and sparking fierce criticism back home.
The miss continued a worrying AFCON trend: after a long run of semi‑finals and finals in the 2000s and early 2010s, Ghana went out in the round of 16 in 2019, then suffered back‑to‑back group‑stage exits in 2021 and 2023 before completely missing the 2025 edition. Even so, coach Otto Addo kept his job thanks to steering Ghana to the 2026 World Cup, leaving the federation to juggle optimism about the global stage with the reality that one of Africa’s traditional heavyweights watched AFCON 2025 from home.
Star turns and the Team of the Tournament
CAF’s official Team of the Tournament highlighted Senegal, Morocco, and Nigeria as the competition’s dominant forces, with the champions and hosts providing most of the XI. Senegal’s Moussa Niakhaté, Pape Gueye, Idrissa Gueye and Sadio Mané all made the cut, with Mané recognized as Player of the Tournament for his leadership and decisive contributions in key moments.
Morocco’s core of Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui and Brahim Díaz underscored how consistently strong the hosts were up until the final twist. Nigeria’s third‑place finish was reflected by places for Calvin Bassey, Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, reaffirming the Super Eagles’ status as one of Africa’s most talent‑rich squads.
Colour, controversy and AFCON’s growing global pull
Beyond the football, AFCON 2025 delivered the full spectrum of drama that has made the tournament a global cult favourite. The opening ceremony in Morocco featured major international acts like Davido and French Montana, while the stands became a stage of their own thanks to travelling supporters and viral personalities such as DR Congo fan Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, whose Patrice Lumumba tribute made him a social media sensation.
At the same time, the final‑day brawl, VAR debates and walk‑off protest kept AFCON’s relationship with controversy very much alive, sparking fierce discussion about refereeing standards and game management at the elite level of African football. Taken together, Morocco 2025 looked like a watershed: a slickly organized, high‑scoring, globally watched tournament that still retained the raw edge and emotional volatility that make AFCON uniquely compelling.
