Senegal win AFCON final amid VAR row and walkoutsCEFR B1
26 Jan 2026
Adapted from Adesewa Olofinko, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Victor Rutka, Unsplash
The AFCON 2025 final on January 18, 2026, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat ended 1-0 to Senegal after a contentious finish. A VAR review in the 98th minute of stoppage time led to a penalty for Morocco. Senegal’s players protested and left the pitch, but play resumed and Morocco’s Brahim Díaz took a Panenka-style penalty that Édouard Mendy saved.
The match went into extra time and Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal. Tensions continued after the game: several Moroccan journalists walked out of a post-match press conference when Senegal’s coach, Pape Bouna Thiaw, entered. The International Sports Press Association and other foreign journalists criticised the walkout.
There were other incidents during the tournament, including videos of ball boys removing goalkeepers’ towels and repeated criticism of late VAR interventions. Senegal had filed formal complaints during the week about crowd safety and treatment on arrival.
Difficult words
- contentious — causing strong disagreement or argument
- review — careful check of an event or decision
- protest — show strong disagreement publicly or officiallyprotested
- resume — start again after a pauseresumed
- extra time — additional playing time after regular time
- decisive — causing a final result or decision
- walk out — leave an event to show disagreementwalked out
- press conference — meeting where people ask questions publicly
- criticise — say that something is wrong or badcriticised
- complaint — formal statement about a problem or wrongcomplaints
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think players should leave the pitch when they disagree with a decision? Why or why not?
- How can organisers reduce tensions after controversial decisions in big matches?
- What steps could improve crowd safety and treatment for visiting teams and staff?
