As Senegal celebrates its second Africa Cup of Nations title, the 2025 continental final will be largely remembered for 16 minutes of madness, chaos and drama.
What began as a game of high stakes between the two African Giants, the ugly and chaotic put a sour and dull icing on the 2025 AFCON cake.
A moment of madness
The tension erupted in the 98th minute as the scoreboard still read 0-0. Minutes earlier, Senegal’s Abdoulaye Seck nodded into the back of the net but it was cancelled after a contentious foul on Achraf Halimi.
Sengelese players, the technical team and the crowd demanded a VAR review but the referee waved play on.
The heat hit the boiling point as the referee awarded the hosts a penalty in the 98th minute following a VAR review. The decision came after Senegal’s Malick Diouf tugged on Brahim Diaz in the dangerous area.
Players walkoff
In a rare move, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw was seen ordering his players to leave the field of play. This led to a 17-minute suspension of play.
As the standoff continued, Senegalese fans broke past their premises to reach the photographers’ area. This attracted police and a human wall to prevent further chaos.
Sadio Mane saves the day
After the exchange of words, Sadio Mane persuaded his teammates to return to the field of play preventing a forfeit that would have worsened the ugly scenes.
Host teams always want to cheat