Brahim Diaz failed to 'respect football' with failed Panenka in AFCON final

Martin Macdonald

• 20 Jan 2026 03:45 CST
• 3 min read

Nieuws

Brahim Diaz has been accused of disrespecting football as a whole with his attempted Panenka in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.

Late into injury time in the final between Morocco and Senegal, the host nation were controversially awarded a penalty after Diaz went down softly inside the box.

The Senegal players and staff were furious and head coach Pape Thiaw actually ordered the players off the pitch in protest, with some even going back to the changing room.

After a delay of around 15 minutes, play was to resume with the taking of the penalty.

If Diaz scored, it would have been the last kick of the game and Morocco would have won the AFCON. The Real Madrid star attempted a Panenka that was easily gathered by opposition goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

90+ 13 | 🇲🇦𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄

Panenka stopped! Brahim Díaz fails to beat the keeper#TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 #UBCAFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/bpBkmbKSyg

— UBC UGANDA (@ubctvuganda) January 18, 2026

Senegal would go on to win AFCON 1-0 after a goal in extra time.

Former France international Jerome Rothen has slammed the Real Madrid star for his decision at some a crucial moment.

"He can cry all he wants," Rothen told RMC Sport.

"When you decide to take a penalty in that way, at that minute, with all the pressure, all that it represents... You had 70,000 Moroccans in the stadium and I'm not even talking about the millions who were watching the match. They have been waiting for this for 50 years. You knew that if you scored this penalty, it was over. You can miss a penalty, it has happened to very great players, but in this way, it is scandalous."

Rothen believes that Diaz wanted to be the hero and ultimately acted selfishly.

"Too bad for him, he didn't respect football," the former Monaco winger added.

"He wanted to humiliate the Senegalese... When you take a penalty, a Panenka, it is premeditated. You want to humiliate them. Taking the penalty in that way is pulling the blanket to himself. The way of shooting, it was to humiliate and it is to say: 'I made Morocco win'. That, that bothers me."

Diaz was in tears post-match as he received the AFCON top goalscorer award from FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

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