Overview
- Pape Gueye decided the final with a strike in extra time to secure Senegal’s 1–0 victory over host Morocco in Rabat.
- Referee Jean‑Jacques Ndala disallowed a Senegal goal before any VAR review and later, after VAR intervention, awarded Morocco a penalty for a shirt pull on Brahim Díaz.
- Senegal’s players left the pitch in protest before captain Sadio Mané convinced them to return, averting a likely abandonment of the final.
- Díaz’s attempted Panenka was saved by Édouard Mendy, who dismissed speculation of a deliberate miss, and the Real Madrid forward still received the Golden Boot.
- The protest and disturbances in the stands escalated tensions, with photographer Amina Fall warning of bottles thrown and danger to journalists, and Mané later announced he plans to retire from international duty after the 2026 World Cup, a move his coach opposes.