It was a moment that will haunt Brahim Diaz for years to come. The winger had a chance to write his name into Moroccan folklore after winning a penalty in the eighth minute of second-half added time with the Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal goalless.
It was a golden opportunity to end his country’s 50-year wait to lift the Afcon trophy. But Diaz, whose five goals had propelled the hosts to the final, tried a ‘Panenka’ chipped penalty. It backfired. Horrendously so. Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy stood his ground and caught the ball in embarrassingly simple fashion.
The former Manchester City player and tournament’s top-scorer looked distraught as it began to sink in what he had done. Later, television cameras zoomed in on him on the Morocco bench, after he had been substituted in extra time, holding back tears. The Real Madrid attacker had been made to wait around 17 minutes to take the kick after the majority of Senegal’s players, including Mendy, marched off the pitch in protest at the award of the penalty.
“He had a lot of time before taking the penalty, which must have disturbed him,” said Morocco manager Walid Regragui. “But we can’t change what happened. That is how he chose to take the penalty. We need to look forwards now.” Diaz’s penalty turned out to be the last kick of normal time.
Four minutes into extra time, Senegal’s Pape Gueye lashed in what turned out to be the winner to leave Diaz and his Morocco team-mates heartbroken. “I think Brahim Diaz is going to have a lot of nightmares in the coming days,” former Morocco midfielder Hassan Kachloul said on Channel 4’s coverage of the match.
Former Nigeria forward Daniel Amokachi added: “Brahim Diaz threw away all of his glorious moments, scoring five goals in this tournament.”
And ex-Nigeria midfielder Jon Obi Mikel said the miss “spoils everything Brahim Diaz has done well in this tournament”. “He is going to be devastated,” he added. “This is going to be tough on him, for weeks, for months.”
Efan Ekoku, another former Nigerian international, said: “It is a moment Brahim Diaz will never get over.”
