Reflections on the AFCON Final: Insights from Walid Regragui

Walid Regragui expressed that the extended wait time before Morocco’s penalty in injury time significantly “disturbed” Brahim Díaz, ultimately leading to the unsuccessful panenka attempt that was saved.

The contentious penalty was awarded in the eighth minute of added time after VAR determined that El Hadji Malick Diouf had fouled Díaz in the box. This decision ignited a confrontation between the two teams, prompting Senegal’s players to leave the pitch in protest under the direction of their coach, Pape Thiaw. The match resumed after a lengthy 14-minute delay.

In total, Díaz had to wait an agonizing 17 minutes before taking his penalty, which resulted in him chipping the ball directly into Édouard Mendy’s hands.

Senegal eventually triumphed in the final, with Villarreal’s Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal in the fourth minute of extra time. It was a heartbreaking conclusion for Díaz, who had previously earned the Golden Boot for scoring five goals throughout the tournament.

“He had a lot of time before taking the penalty, which must have disturbed him,” Regragui acknowledged. “However, we cannot change what transpired. The way he chose to take the penalty is what it is. Now, we must look forward.”

Regragui further criticized the conduct displayed during the match, emphasizing that “the match we had was shameful for Africa.”

In reference to Thiaw’s actions, he stated, “When a head coach instructs his players to leave the pitch and makes statements that began in the press conference prior to the match—accusations of unsportsmanlike conduct against Morocco—he should maintain composure, in both victory and defeat.”

He remarked, “What Pape did tonight does not honor Africa. As an African champion, he can express his views, but stopping the match for over 10 minutes is unjustifiable. This does not absolve Brahim for the way he executed the penalty; he took it as he did, and we must accept that. Now, we need to move forward and acknowledge that Brahim missed it.”