AFCON 2025 Final: Romain Saiss Discloses What He Said Before Brahim Diaz’s Panenka
- Moroccan defender Romain Saiss has disclosed what he said before Brahim Diaz took his Panenka penalty
- The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations ended in chaos which started after referee awarded a penalty to Morocco
- Senegal won the trophy after Brahim Diaz missed the penalty and the aftermath still lingers on in Africa
Moroccan defender Romain Saiss has disclosed what he said before Brahim Diaz took the failed Panenka penalty during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final on January 18, 2026.
Senegal and Morocco played a chaotic AFCON 2025 final which lasted 120 minutes and earned the Teranga Lions their second continental star.
Source: Getty Images
The final descended into chaos after Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty, minutes after disallowing Senegal's goal.
Pape Thiaw ordered his players to leave the pitch in protest, which led to a temporary stop of the match for 17 minutes before play eventually resumed.
Sadio Mane spoke to Mamadou Niang, Claude Le Roy and El Hadji Diouf before appealing to his teammates to return and complete the match.
Diaz missed the penalty after attempting a Panenka which Senegalese goalkeeper Édouard Mendy easily saved, forcing the match into extra time.
Pape Gueye scored a cracking goal in the fourth minute of extra time and Senegal held on to beat the host and win their second AFCON trophy.
Saiss reacts to Diaz’s penalty
Diaz’s choice of a Panenka penalty in such a high-stakes moment left the football world bewildered when he could have just gone for a direct approach.
Former captain Romain Saiss, during an interview with Colininterview, has opened up about what he said when he spotted his teammate going for a Panenka during AFCON 2025 final.
“When he went for the panenka, I thought: you cannot do that now,” he said as quoted by Foot Africa.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender claimed that the stakes were too high as Morocco had been waiting for an AFCON trophy since 1976.
“I thought he was going to smash it straight down the middle—thank you, goodbye, we lift the trophy and go celebrate,” he added.“Since that moment, and even now, I feel empty.”
Source: Getty Images
Saiss, despite his feelings, refused to hold it against Diaz and admitted that he does not think that the Real Madrid star intentionally sabotaged the team.
“He could have been the hero, but he wanted to be the superhero,” he concluded.
Saiss announced his retirement from the national team shortly after AFCON 2025 after 14 years and 86 caps for the Atlas Lions.
CAF sanctioned Senegal and Morocco in the aftermath of the AFCON final incident, imposing suspensions and fines on players and staff.
What Regragui told Diaz
Legit.ng previously reported what Walid Regragui told Brahim Diaz after he was substituted following his penalty miss in the AFCON final as seen in footage.
The head coach was visibly incensed and questioned why the Real Madrid star opted for a fancy penalty style instead of going for a direct approach.
Source: Legit.ng
