The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 lived up to its billing—and then some. What unfolded in Morocco was not merely a continental championship, but a global football spectacle, rich in drama, quality, and meaning.

In the final, hosts Morocco national football team—the Atlas Lions, still chasing a first AFCON crown since 1976—locked horns with a force of African football, the Senegal national football team, led by their talisman Sadio Mané. When two Lions meet, there can be no half-measures—and this final delivered a tactical, bruising duel worthy of the occasion.

The match opened cagey and intense. Senegal showed greater composure in the first half, controlling tempo and space, while Morocco grew into the game after the break, dominating possession and tilting the statistics in their favor. Chances were scarce, margins razor-thin.

Then came the moment that ignited controversy and froze the stadium. A pull-back on Brahim Díaz triggered chaos—players clashed, tempers flared, and play was halted amid heated debate. When order returned, Morocco were awarded a penalty. The host nation held its breath. Díaz stepped up—and struck the ball straight into the waiting hands of Senegal’s calm guardian, Edouard Mendy. A turning point. Perhaps the turning point.

With the score still goalless after regulation and added time, the final drifted into extra time—where champions often reveal themselves. Senegal wasted no time. Just four minutes in, midfielder Pape Gueye rose to the moment, delivering the decisive strike that pierced Moroccan hopes and tilted history Senegal’s way.

From there, the Teranga Lions defended with steel and discipline, seeing out the match to secure a 1–0 victory and lift the AFCON trophy for the second time in their history—and their second within five years.

It was a victory forged in patience, belief, and big-game experience. A victory befitting a golden generation.

For Senegal, this triumph carries added poignancy. It marks what is expected to be the final Africa Cup of Nations for Sadio Mané, a leader whose legacy now includes lifting Africa’s greatest prize twice. For Morocco, heartbreak—but also pride, having hosted an AFCON that set new benchmarks for Africa and the world.

AFCON 2025 crowned a champion—but it also crowned an era.

The Teranga Lions stand tall. Africa watched. The world applauded.

By Leslie Koroma Sr.