Rabat - Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

The Senegalese national team was crowned champion of the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time in its history, in the final match against Morocco, the host country of the sporting event.

Reactions varied in Arab and European capitals, with some witnessing expressions of sadness from Moroccan communities and their supporters from other communities after the dream was shattered in the final seconds of the match. This followed a penalty kick taken by Ibrahim Diaz in a bizarre fashion, which came after a goal scored by the Senegalese team was disallowed by the referee. Clashes then broke out between Senegalese fans and Moroccan security forces.

The Moroccan public and their Arab supporters felt that hope remained alive that Morocco could win the title after half a century, achieving a new milestone after the successes achieved in 2025, whether at the youth level, with the Olympic team, in the Arab Championship, or in the awards they received from the Confederation of African Football. The usual demonstrations by Moroccan fans in European and Arab capitals to celebrate the Atlas Lions were absent, but there was pride in the players' performance in the tournament.

Meanwhile, some capitals witnessed jubilation over Morocco's defeat, based on several issues that angered some, including organizational matters, refereeing, and the Moroccan fans' support for African teams against Arab national teams, particularly Egypt and Algeria. This was highlighted on social media through videos showing gloating over Morocco's loss, such as the jeering of the Egyptian national anthem by some fans in the stands, and the cheering of some Moroccans for Benin against Egypt. This was followed by complaints from the Egyptian coach about accommodation and transportation, similar complaints echoed by the Senegalese coach, and further fueled by angry reactions from the Algerian media. The match took place on Sunday evening at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. This victory marks Senegal's second win against Morocco, who were also hoping to claim the title for the second time in half a century, having won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1976. Confusion reigned during the final minutes of the match. While Senegal believed they had opened the scoring thanks to a header from Ismaila Sarr, the referee surprised the Lions of Teranga supporters by disallowing the goal, citing a foul committed by his teammate Abdoulaye Seck in the 92nd minute. According to the European news network Euronews in Brussels, the referee then awarded a penalty to Moroccan player Brahim Diaz in extra time. Confusion reached its peak when the Senegalese team left the pitch in protest, before being called back by their captain, Sadio Mane. They then witnessed the Moroccan midfielder miss a penalty, dashing the Atlas Lions' hopes of winning the cup, which ultimately went to Senegal. Egypt remains the continent's leader with seven titles, and other teams are trying to catch up, but it may take a long time.