Sarr's Senegal topple hosts Morocco to win 2025 AFCON Final

Club

18 Jan 2026

Ismaïla Sarr and Senegal won an extraordinary 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final this evening, toppling hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra-time to become African champions for the second time.

What happened in the Final?

A lot.

But thankfully for Sarr and Senegal, it all ended in glory at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

Sarr began the AFCON Final – the third of his career – on the bench for the Lions of Teranga, in a match largely devoid of clear goalscoring opportunities in regulation time, Senegal's Iliman Ndiaye coming close in the first-half and Morocco's Ayoub El Kaabi in the second.

But Sarr's big chance arrived in the 77th minute as the Palace man was called upon to replace Lamine Camara, bringing fresh energy to Senegal's right flank.

And in the second minute of injury time, Sarr appeared to have scored an immortalised winning goal, reacting sharply to head home from close range after Abdoulaye Seck's header hit the post.

Sarr wheeled away in jubilation – but the referee, controversially, disallowed the goal for an adjudged Seck foul on Achraf Hakimi.

And four minutes later, more drama, as El Hadji Malick Diouf's contact with Brahim Díaz saw Morocco awarded a late, late penalty by VAR.

As Senegal's players protested, temperatures rose, and Senegal boss Pape Thiaw beckoned to Sarr and his players to leave the pitch.

It was only in the 20th minute of injury time that they returned, and the kick was taken – a golden chance for the hosts to seal their first continental trophy since 1976..

Sensationally, tournament top scorer Díaz stepped up – and clipped a soft 'panenka' penalty into the arms of Senegal 'keeper Edouard Mendy.

Into extra-time we went, and the drama continued: Senegal, finally, took a long-deserved lead with a stunning strike from Papa Gueye on the edge of the box, four minutes into the additional period.

As Morocco poured bodies forwards, Sarr continued to prove a threat on the right for Senegal.

And moments after Nayef Aguerd thumped a header against the bar in the 108th minute, Sarr ought to have had an assist for Senegal – his driving run and brilliant pass freeing Pape Cherif Ndiaye in the box. The forward, after his initial effort was saved, somehow screwed the rebound wide with an open goal at his mercy.

Another 10 minutes of extra-time were played, but Senegal clung on – Sarr sealing the second AFCON title of his career (after previously winning in 2022) on the occasion of his 80th cap for his country, and having appeared in five of his nation's seven matches, recording one assist.

Congratulations, Ismaïla!

How did Sarr and Senegal get there?

On matchday one, Sarr and Senegal's campaign got underway with a 3-0 win over Botswana in Tangier, which saw the Lions of Teranga storm to the top of Group D.

The Eagles' forward started on the left of an attacking three and played the first 85 minutes, as former Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson gave Senegal the lead shortly before half-time.

Just before the hour, Sarr made his mark, playing a precise pass into the feet of Jackson who - having side-stepped a defender - swept home Senegal's second.

Cherif Ndiaye added a third after 90 minutes to give Sarr and Senegal the perfect start.

On matchday two, it was a less straightforward affair, as Senegal's main competitors in Group D, DR Congo, offered stiffer opposition at Grande Stade de Tangier.

Palace Academy graduate Aaron Wan-Bissaka thought he had fired the Leopards into the lead in the 14th minute, but the effort was ruled out for offside, only for Senegal to dominate the remainder of the half.

DR Congo did improve after the restart however and took the lead from close range through Cedric Bakambu, moments before Sarr was substituted – Sadio Mané grabbing Senegal an equaliser eight minutes later.

On matchday three, Sarr was rested as Senegal cruised to a 3-0 win over Benin, securing their place at the top of Group D.

In the round of 16, Sarr was back in the starting XI to face a Sudan side who – ranked 117th in the world – briefly threatened to stage an upset at the Grand Stadium in Tangier.

Having won just one of their three group-stage matches, Sudan took a surprise lead after six minutes in their first-ever knockout match at at AFCON tournament through Aamir Abdallah's looping strike.

But after Sarr was denied by the goalkeeper with a crisp low effort, Senegal would come roaring back before half-time, Villarreal midfielder Papa Gueye striking twice from the edge of the box before the whistle.

Sudan did come close to finding a second-half equaliser but paid for their profligacy when 17-year-old PSG forward Ibrahim Mbaye came off the bench for Sarr on 74 minutes and, three minutes later, smashed one in at the near post.

In the quarter-finals, Sarr was an unused substitute for Senegal, whose secured a narrow 1-0 win over Mali in Tangier to reach the semi-finals.

Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye was the match-winner, with Spurs' Yves Bissouma sent off for Mali just before half-time.

Chances were exchanged in the second-half, but that was enough to settle the contest.

In the semi-finals, there was a repeat of the 2021 final against Egypt – which Sarr's side won on penalties – with the game being played once more at Grand Stade de Tanger.

Sarr started the game on the bench but, following a cagey contest which Senegal generally dominated without converting their chances, witnessed Mané grab the winning goal 12 minutes from time with an excellent finish from outside the box.

The Palace man entered the fray on 85 minutes as a replacement for Ndiaye and helped his team see out five minutes of injury time in mostly comfort, save for a fine last-minute save by Edouard Mendy against to deny Omar Marmoush – seven-time winners Egypt's only shot on target in the match.

The result led to the third AFCON Final of Sarr's career, and third in the last five iterations of the tournament for Senegal.

And there, the Lions of Teranga roared to the trophy in sensational fashion.

Match Details

All times below are GMT.

Tuesday, 23rd December (Group D): Senegal 3-0 Botswana
- Sarr played the first 85 minutes and registered an assist in a comprehensive win.
Saturday, 27th December (Group D): Senegal 1-1 DR Congo
- Sarr played the first 62 minutes as his country hit back to secure an important point.
Tuesday, 30th December (Group D): Benin 0-3 Senegal
- Sarr was rested and did not feature from the bench as his side secured top spot in Group D.
Saturday, 3rd January (Round of 16): Senegal 3-1 Sudan
- Sarr played the first 74 minutes, going close to scoring on several occasions, and helped his team to a come-from-behind win in the round of 16.
Friday, 9th January (Quarter-finals): Mali 0-1 Senegal
- Sarr was an unused substitute.
Wednesday, 14th January (Semi-finals): Senegal 1-0 Egypt
- Sarr featured off the bench for the final five minutes, helping his country see out a late victory through Sadio Mané and reach a third AFCON final of his career.
Sunday, 18th January (Final): Senegal 1-0 Morocco (after extra-time)
- Sarr came on in the 77th minute; had a goal controversially ruled out in the 92nd minute; could've had an assist in extra-time; but ultimately helped his country secure their second ever continental title.

What is the tournament background?

As important a player for his country as he is for his club, Sarr – who has been in glittering form for Palace this season, with 10 goal involvements in 20 appearances so far in 2025/26 – went into the tournament hoping to claim his second AFCON title, having previously won the 2022 edition.

First held in 1957, the Africa Cup of Nations – often better known as AFCON for short – is the biggest prize on offer for the 54 member associations of Confederation of African Football (CAF), with other continental equivalents being the Copa America or the European Championships.

The tournament has been held since 1957 with it being scheduled – since 1968 – every two years, switching to odd-numbered years in 2013 to prevent conflicts with the FIFA World Cup. Due to weather conditions on the African continent, it has typically been held in the late Winter or early Spring months.

However, due to FIFA expanding its Club World Cup competition to 32 teams and being played in June and July 2025, this edition of the tournament began on Sunday, 21st December 2025 and finished on Sunday, 18th January 2026.

Despite initially being scheduled for summer 2025, this was the first time the tournament has run over the Christmas and New Year period.

Guinea were originally named as this year's hosts, but had their hosting rights revoked three years ago by CAF due to inadequate preparations, leading to AFCON 2025 being reallocated to Morocco.

Some 24 teams were involved this year, including Sarr's Senegal, who many had pegged among the early front-runners for the competition.

Egypt are AFCON's most successful country, winning the tournament seven times, whilst Ivory Coast were the reigning holders from 2023.

How did Senegal qualify, and what is their track record?

This year marks Senegal's sixth consecutive qualification for AFCON, and 18th appearance overall in the competition.

The Lions de Téranga were the sixth of the 24 teams to seal their place at the tournament after confirming top spot in qualification Group L back in October 2024, going undefeated and winning five of their six matches, scoring 10 times and conceding just once.

Sarr featured in five of those six matches, with the winning goal away to Burundi on matchday two, and an assist in a 4-0 demolition of Malawi. In total, he has earned 75 caps, scoring 18 times, for his country.

Senegal have experienced inconsistent results at AFCON since the competition's formation; having finished fourth in their 1965 tournament debut, they regularly failed to qualify – and when they did, get past the group stages – until 1990, when they went on to reach at least the quarter-finals in seven of the next nine editions of the competition, including in 1992 as tournament hosts.

That sequence included two more fourth-place finishes and, in 2002, a run to the final, where they narrowly lost out to Cameroon on penalties.

After another relatively barren run in the early 2000s, in modern times, with Sarr starring, Senegal have been perennial AFCON challengers.

Having lost out 1-0 to Algeria in the 2019 edition in Cairo – when Sarr featured in five of his country's seven matches, including the final – they finally ended their long wait with a penalty shoot-out win over Egypt in the 2021 edition in Cameroon, prompting scenes of euphoria back home in Dakar.

This was Sarr's fifth appearance at an AFCON finals tournament, having previously made 15 appearances for the Lions de Téranga in this competition, with three goals and four assists to his name.

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