Former Morocco international Younes Belhanda has reignited the controversy surrounding Brahim Diaz’s missed penalty in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, suggesting the Real Madrid player may have told Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy that he would attempt a Panenka.
Belhanda admitted he had no evidence to support the claim, describing it only as a personal feeling after appearing on French network RMC’s “Rothen s’enflamme” programme.
Morocco were awarded the penalty in the eighth minute of added time, with the opportunity to secure victory in front of their home supporters. Diaz took responsibility but attempted to chip Mendy, who caught the ball comfortably.
Morocco eventually lost 1-0 after the final went to extra time, with Pape Gueye scoring Senegal’s winning goal in the 94th minute.
“At first, I was angry with him, but in the end you tell yourself: I could have been in his position and done the same thing,” Belhanda said.
The former Nice and Montpellier player, who now plays for Al-Sailiya in Qatar, said Diaz’s decision should not automatically be dismissed as foolish.
“If he had scored it, look at Zinedine Zidane in the final,” he said. “When he scored against Italy in the 2006 World Cup final, I said he was an exceptional player and that what he had done was incredible.”
Belhanda then outlined his suspicion about the incident.
“I think they had an agreement over the penalty. I think Brahim Diaz told the goalkeeper he was going to do that,” he said.
Explaining his reasoning, he added: “I think that because the reaction of the Senegal players to the penalty did not suggest they were surprised. You know the kind of emotions there are in a final like that. That is what I think, it is my personal opinion. There is no evidence, it is just a feeling.”
There is no evidence that Diaz and Mendy agreed either the method of the penalty or its outcome.
Controversial final remains unresolved
The penalty came after a turbulent final quarter of an hour. Morocco’s spot-kick was awarded following a video assistant referee review, while Senegal had earlier protested after a goal was disallowed for a foul on Achraf Hakimi.
The Senegal players surrounded the officials after the penalty decision, and the team left the pitch. Some supporters also entered the field before the match resumed after a lengthy delay and Diaz took the kick.
Diaz was visibly upset after missing, with tears in his eyes, and was substituted a few minutes later.
Although Senegal won on the pitch, CAF’s Appeals Committee ruled on 17 March that Senegal should be recorded as having lost by withdrawal, with the result changed to 3-0. The decision cited Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations, covering a team leaving the pitch before the match had ended without the referee’s permission.
The Senegalese Football Federation appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is expected to issue its ruling at the end of November.
The listed Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures include Senegal v Sudan on 12 November 2026 and Morocco v Niger on 13 November 2026.
