The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between Morocco and Senegal was supposed to be a showcase of elite African football. Instead, it devolved into unprecedented chaos.
Months after Morocco was awarded the continental trophy on a technicality (sur tapis vert), Morocco's national team coach Walid Regragui has spoken out, expressing deep frustration over how the historic event unfolded.
The Snapchat Incident That Changed Everything
While Senegal initially celebrated a 1-0 extra-time victory on the pitch, the title was ultimately stripped and awarded to Morocco due to a bizarre rule breach. Speaking on Canal+, Regragui revealed that several Senegal players left the pitch during the match to post on Snapchat from the locker room.
"If the rules had been strictly applied, they would have received second yellow cards, and Senegal would have finished the match with nine players," Regragui explained.
By leaving the playing field to use social media mid-game, the Senegalese players breached official match protocols, triggering the administrative decision that overturned the final score.
A Missed Opportunity for African Football
Regragui, who also works as a pundit for the French broadcaster Canal+, did not hold back his disappointment regarding the image the match projected to the world. He criticized Senegal’s squad and coaching staff for failing to maintain professional standards on the big stage.
"We had a grand finale with the two best African teams of the last five to six years," Regragui lamented. "We could have celebrated and shown that African football has reached a new level, with extraordinary, European-standard stadiums. Instead, we demonstrated all the negative stereotypes associated with African football."
Regragui added that the administrative fallout "soiled" the reputation of the sport on the continent, handing ammunition to critics who look down on African football governance.
The Psychological Toll on Players
The chaos did not just affect the final score; it also disrupted the game's sporting integrity. Regragui pointed to Morocco’s Brahim Diaz, who missed a crucial penalty during the match, arguing that a massive 15-minute delay caused by the disruptions completely broke the player's focus.
He compared the incident to the 2026 World Cup, where France's Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty against Morocco after a much shorter two-minute delay.
While Morocco walks away as the official AFCON champion, the bitter circumstances surrounding the victory leave a complicated legacy for both teams moving forward.
