Former Chelsea forward Solomon Kalou has criticised Morocco’s Brahim Diaz following his costly penalty miss in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, saying the forward squandered a rare chance to become a national hero.
Morocco were presented with a golden opportunity to win the tournament in dramatic fashion late in regulation time after Diaz was fouled inside the penalty area deep into stoppage time. With the score still goalless and tensions running high, the Real Madrid attacker stepped up to take the decisive kick.
However, Diaz opted for an audacious panenka, an effort that lacked conviction and was comfortably saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The miss proved pivotal, as Senegal regrouped and went on to claim the title.
The match had already been filled with controversy. Earlier in the second half, Ismaila Sarr thought he had given Senegal the lead, but his header was ruled out for a foul on Achraf Hakimi. Moments later, drama unfolded in the 97th minute when the referee pointed to the spot for Morocco, a decision that sparked protests from Senegalese players, who briefly left the pitch before play resumed.
With Morocco failing to capitalise on their late chance, the West Africans struck in extra time. Pape Gueye produced a fine left-footed finish in the first half of extra time to hand Senegal a 1-0 victory and secure the AFCON trophy.
Reacting to the incident during post-match analysis on SuperSport, Kalou expressed disappointment at Diaz’s decision-making in such a crucial moment.
“He’s had a very good tournament overall,” the former Ivory Coast international said. “But this was the moment to be a hero in your own country, and then you choose to do that.”
Kalou added that the reaction of the Moroccan coaching staff said a lot about the situation.
“I’m sure the coaches understood immediately, because you could see the way they spoke to him,” he continued. “There was a big opportunity there. I honestly thought someone else would take the penalty, especially because in previous games he had taken and scored an important one, like the winning penalty against Nigeria. But then you see this happen.”
Senegal’s triumph crowned a hard-fought campaign, while Morocco were left to reflect on what might have been on home soil. Nigeria, meanwhile, had earlier secured third place after defeating Egypt in the playoff match on Saturday.
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