In a heartbreaking moment, Brahim Diaz’s ill-fated decision to attempt a Panenka penalty in the dying seconds of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final against Senegal has left the Moroccan star facing a “nightmare” over the miss.
With the scores level deep into added time, Diaz had the chance to end Morocco’s 50-year wait for the Afcon trophy. However, the Real Madrid forward’s audacious chipped penalty was easily saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, leaving Diaz distraught on the bench as Senegal went on to win 1-0 in extra time.
The penalty incident was shrouded in controversy, with Senegal players initially walking off the pitch in protest before being convinced to return. Diaz was then forced to wait around 17 minutes before taking the spot-kick, a delay that Morocco manager Walid Regragui believes may have unsettled the player.
“He had a lot of time before taking the penalty which must have disturbed him,” Regragui said. “But we can’t change what happened. That is how he chose to take the penalty. We need to look forward now.”
Diaz, who had been the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, was substituted shortly after his miss, with television cameras capturing the anguish on his face as he held back tears on the bench.
Former Morocco midfielder Hassan Kachloul believes the 23-year-old will be haunted by the incident for years to come. “I think Brahim Diaz is going to have a lot of nightmares in the coming days,” he said.
Ex-Nigeria internationals Daniel Amokachi and John Obi Mikel were equally scathing in their assessment, with Amokachi saying Diaz “threw away all of his glorious moments” in the tournament, while Mikel claimed the miss “spoils everything Brahim Diaz has done well in this tournament.”
Senegal eventually secured the Afcon title in dramatic fashion, with Pape Gueye scoring the winner in extra time to break Moroccan hearts and leave Diaz facing an uncertain future in the aftermath of his costly penalty miss.