Last-minute Panenka: the AFCON final that stung Diaz and Morocco

Diaz's controversial final miss

The Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal will be remembered by Ibrahim Diaz, but not for positive reasons. The Real Madrid forward faced a decisive moment that could have changed the outcome, yet a stoppage time penalty did not go as hoped.

Diaz ended the match with a late penalty that could have flipped the result, a moment that would have crowned him a hero were it not for the save that followed.

When Diaz seemed set to crown Morocco, he opted for a Panenka style penalty, and the ball landed squarely in Edouard Mendys hands, denying the home run moment to the Moroccan side.

Aftermath and reflections

The bold choice disappointed millions of Moroccan fans and left the player in tears at the final whistle.

According to the Spanish newspaper Sport, Walid Regragui suggested that the ten minutes of stoppage time during the final, following the penalty incident and a temporary withdrawal of Senegal players, unsettled Diaz.

Referee Jan-Jac Ndala Ngombo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo awarded a Moroccan penalty in the 95th minute, which prompted Senegal coach to pull his players off the field.

After ten minutes, they returned, but Diaz missed, and in extra time Senegal won with a goal by Baba Jaye.

In the post match press conference, Regragui emphasized the importance of the miss: Diaz is the team penalty taker, but the stoppage games affected him.

He added that the order of events does not excuse the shot and that the team takes responsibility. It was extremely hard. They were one minute away from lifting the Africa Cup trophy. Football can be cruel sometimes.

Punchlines aside, timing remains king in football, and penalties remain the ultimate cliffhanger for fans and players alike.

Punchline 1: If penalties paid rent, Diaz would still be behind on this months bill.
Punchline 2: In football, the clock laughs last, and it wears goalkeeper gloves.