US Edition'My Soul Hurts' - Diaz in Turmoil After Butchered Pen
Diaz missed a high-pressure Panenka penalty after a 15-minute delay, with Senegal winning 1-0 in extra time, their second title in three tournaments.
- On Sunday in Rabat, Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 in the AFCON final, while a VAR review awarded Brahim Diaz a penalty saved by Edouard Mendy after over 15 minutes' delay.
- A VAR review found El Hadji Malick Diouf fouled Brahim Diaz, awarding a soft penalty amid tensions after Senegal’s goal was controversially disallowed for a foul by Abdoulaye Seck, with coach Pape Thiaw briefly calling players off the field.
- There were over 15 minutes between the penalty award and the kick, during which players and coach briefly left the field while Edouard Mendy was booked and saved the Panenka amid muted reactions.
- Diaz later posted on Instagram apologising and promising to keep going until he can make the Morocco national team proud after the miss denied Morocco a first AFCON title since 1976.
- In football history, commentators and football historians say Diaz's high-profile Panenka failure on Sunday may discourage players from attempting this technique on big stages and joins debates over deliberate misses since Antonin Panenka's 1976 chip.
45 Articles
45 Articles
The Independent
The Independent (US)Brahim Diaz and the worst Panenka penalty misses after Afcon despair
Morocco star Brahim Diaz blew the chance to win the 2026 Afcon final against Senegal at the end of normal time after a dreadful Panenka attempt, writes Aman Mahmood, but he is far from the first culprit
Author of a penalty missed in the extra time of the very tense match against Senegal, the attacker precipitated the defeat of Morocco, attracting many critics.
Morocco’s remorseful Diaz sorry for penalty miss in AFCON final
Morocco's Brahim Diaz has apologised for his Panenka penalty miss that cost his country the Africa Cup of Nations title on Sunday, saying his "soul hurts" and he took responsibility for the 1-0 defeat by Senegal in the decider in Rabat. Morocco were awarded a spot-kick in the 98th minute after Diaz was hauled to the ground by defender El Hadji Malick Diouf, an incident that sparked ugly scenes in the stands and on the pitch. It followed five min…
Brahim Diaz of Real Madrid had the great chance to shoot Morocco for the title at the Africa Cup final against Senegal in the replay period. But he failed in a tumultuous manner. On Monday evening, Diaz reported with an emotional message. "Yesterday, I failed, and I take full responsibility for it and apologize wholeheartedly, he writes on his social channels. "My soul hurts. I dreamed of this title, thanks to all the love you have given me, tha…
Guilty to have missed a penalty in the extra time on Sunday, in Rabat, during the final of the CAN, the Moroccan attacker is under the fire of criticism.
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