Senegal won their second ever African Football Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy on Sunday, beating hosts Morocco 1-0.

The game’s only goal came at the fourth minute of extra time, when Papa Gueye’s decisive kick landed the ball in the top-right corner of the goal.



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The Africa Cup of Nations reaches its climax on Sunday with a final showdown between the continent’s two leading footballing powerhouses as hosts Morocco look to win the title for the first time in 50 years when they take on Sadio Mane’s Senegal.

The match kicks off at 1900 GMT at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, where almost all of the crowd of 69,000 will be backing a Morocco side captained by African player of the year Achraf Hakimi.

The first AFCON ever to start in one year and end in another could be the second in a row to be won by the host nation, with the Atlas Lions aiming to follow in the footsteps of the Ivory Coast, crowned champions in front of their own fans in Abidjan in 2024.

Walid Regragui’s Morocco have established itself in recent years as Africa’s pre-eminent national team, becoming the first from the continent to reach a World Cup semi-final in 2022 and climbing to 11th place in the world rankings, just above Italy.

However, they have long been AFCON underachievers, with their only title to date coming in 1976. This will be their first final since 2004, when they lost to Tunisia with Regragui part of the team.

Senegal, meanwhile, are appearing in their third final in four editions and are targeting a second title to follow their 2022 triumph, when Mane scored the decisive penalty in a shoot-out win over Egypt in Yaounde.

“We dreamt of being here and now we have done it,” Regragui told reporters in the Moroccan capital on Saturday.

He has been under suffocating pressure to deliver the title for the football-mad nation, and would perhaps not have kept his job through to the approaching World Cup in North America had he not at least taken the team this far.

“I hope this is just the beginning and not our last AFCON final,” he added.

“Big football nations want to be up there on a regular basis. Tomorrow (Sunday) we want to try to make history.”

He added: “Senegal will need to be really strong to beat us at home, although they are capable.”

Morocco’s success over the last four weeks has been based around the attacking inspiration of Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz, the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, as well as a defence which has conceded only once — and that a penalty in a group-stage draw with Mali.

Being at home brings extra pressure, but can also be a huge advantage, and Senegal have complained about the conditions in which they were welcomed to Rabat ahead of the game.

The Lions of Teranga were based in the northern port city of Tangiers for the duration of the tournament before arriving in Rabat by train on Friday.

The Senegalese Football Federation complained in a statement about “serious concerns” including a “lack of adequate security” for the team’s arrival “which put the players and staff at risk”.

It also complained about the hotel offered to the delegation, the fact that they were given fewer than 3,000 tickets for their supporters for the final, and about being offered a training pitch at the Moroccan team’s base in nearby Sale.

“What happened was not normal,” said Senegal coach Pape Thiaw.

“Given the number there, anything could have happened. My players could have been in danger.

“That type of thing should not happen between two brother countries.”

Senegal’s star player Mane, a two-time winner of the African player of the year prize, said after netting the winner in the semi-final against Egypt that Sunday’s game would be his last ever AFCON appearance.

Remarkably, Thiaw insisted on the eve of the game that the former Liverpool forward may have no choice but to rethink that decision.

“I think he made his decision in the heat of the moment and the country does not agree, and I as coach of the national team do not agree,” said Thiaw.

“We would like to keep him for as long as possible,” added the coach, who is without centre-back and captain Kalidou Koulibaly due to suspension.

Super Eagles forward Akor Adams has praised the spirit and unity within the Nigerian team after their impressive run at the AFCON tournament in Morocco, which ended with a bronze medal finish.

Nigeria went through the competition recording five wins and eventually losing in the semi-finals to the hosts on penalties, a performance Adams believes underlines the quality of the squad.

“We’re the best. We’re the best team. We came for the gold, and we did not take it, but we are proud of what we have been able to achieve. We are a very strong group.”

”Everybody is going home with a better friendship with the next person, as a better person,” Adams said in a post-match interview on Saturday after beating Egypt 4-2 on penalties.

The striker reserved special praise for head coach Eric Chelle, crediting him with building a united and disciplined group within a short period.

“We are all grateful to Eric Chelle for what he has done for us as a group in the last three weeks. We are better people because of him,”

”He has given me the opportunity to represent my beloved Nigeria.”

The tournament also came with personal challenges for the forward, as his mother was unwell during the competition.

Adams described the period as emotionally demanding but expressed gratitude for the support his family received.

“Like every other tournament, things will happen in between, and family issues are not separate from that,

“I’m grateful it was not anything too big or out of control. I’m also grateful to the CAF medical team because they took care of her. She’s much better now, and I’m glad we got to experience this together.”

Despite the pride in the team’s achievement, Adams admitted the bronze medal still came with mixed emotions.

“I’m not very happy, but the most important thing is we came out with a win,” he said, adding that celebrations would be modest.

“Some people came and went home with nothing. We’ll just go back to the hotel first, try to eat, and then we’ll see what happens.”

For the Sevilla forward, the experience remains overwhelmingly positive, marking his first major international tournament with the Super Eagles.

“Everything for me is positive. It’s my first. There’s nothing to compare it to, so it’s positive,” he said.

He also addressed incidents involving fan behaviour during the tournament, stressing the need for respect and sportsmanship across African football.

“I think you do not kick somebody when he’s down,” Adams stated. “He was passionate for his country, but when Congo lost, all that happened was not acceptable. It’s not acceptable in Africa.”