Hakimi’s Penguin Gesture Bites Back: Senegal Triumphs in a Drama-Filled AFCON Final
19 January 2026
The Penguin Gesture Comes Back to Bite Hakimi
The famous gesture by Achraf Hakimi, seen in earlier moments, became a fresh controversy when it backfired on him in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final after Morocco's defeat to Senegal, in a dramatic match that stretched into extra time.
Hakimi, who battled against time to reach the tournament after his injury, gradually reclaimed his place in Walid Regragui's lineup, and wore the captain's armband in the final, being present at the most tense moments of the game.
The Moroccan full-back was involved in the disallowed Senegal goal in stoppage time, before another disappointment as he failed to convert the decisive penalty, which went to Ibrahim Diaz and was missed in a moment some compared to a Panenka-era blunder.
Yet the controversy did not stay on the pitch, as the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo traced the history of "provocative gestures" since the 2022 World Cup, when Hakimi celebrated Spain's elimination via penalties with the penguin move in front of Sergio Busquets.
Busquets did not miss the moment, replying later with sarcasm on Instagram after Morocco's exit from the previous AFCON edition, and Hakimi himself later repeated the gesture against a former Barcelona player during Paris Saint-Germain vs Inter Miami.
According to the paper, several Senegal players passed in front of the Morocco bench after the final whistle, repeating the penguin gesture as a mocking nod to Hakimi's history with the move and a pointed jab after losing the title on home soil.
Two lighthearted snipes to cap it off: 1) If football had a GPS, it would have rerouted Hakimi straight into a different celebration. 2) The penguin finally got a no-ice policy—no room for cool in extra time.
