Walid Regragui Slams Pape Thiaw After Chaotic AFCON 2025 Final: 'Doesn't Honour Africa'

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, a match that was supposed to be a celebration of African football, descended into acrimony and chaos as Senegal defeated hosts Morocco in a dramatic extra-time victory.

The contest, which saw Senegal lift their second continental trophy, will be remembered less for the football and more for a series of controversial refereeing decisions that nearly sparked a diplomatic incident in Rabat.

Morocco entered the tournament with high hopes of ending a nearly 50-year wait for an AFCON title, dreaming of a fairytale triumph on home soil.

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However, those ambitions were shattered in a final that concluded with bitterness and accusations, leaving a stain on what had been a captivating tournament.

The match was ultimately decided by a thunderous Pape Gueye strike in extra time, securing a second championship in three tournaments for the Lions of Teranga.

Yet, the result felt like a subplot to the mayhem that unfolded during an astonishing 20 minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half.

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui acknowledged the impact of the delay on his playe. "A lot of time passed before Brahim was able to take the penalty, and this put him off," he told ESPN. "The match we had was shameful for Africa."

Walid Regragui placed blame on his counterpart, Senegal coach Pape Thiaw, for the chaotic scenes. "What Pape Thiaw did tonight doesn't honour Africa," he stated.

"He's an African champion now, so he can say what he wants, but they stopped the match for over ten minutes. That doesn't excuse Brahim for the way he hit the penalty... we have to own it."

Pape Thiaw, who appeared to instruct his players to leave the pitch in protest of a refereeing decision, is now cast as the villain of the piece.

However, his actions were not an isolated incident but the culmination of growing frustration with the host nation's conduct throughout the tournament.

"When a head coach asks his players to leave the pitch... he needs to stay class, in victory as well as in defeat," he remarked, blaming Thiaw for instigating the farce.

It remains unclear if Senegal will face sanctions for threatening to abandon the match. The incident raises questions about whether this will set a precedent for teams to protest marginal VAR calls by walking off the field.