Senegal’s El Hadji Malick Diouf has described the decisive moment in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco, recalling how goalkeeper Édouard Mendy’s penalty save secured the title for the West African side.
Speaking in an interview with Canal+, the Senegalese international and West Ham player detailed the tense moment when Mendy reassured him just before a critical spot-kick.
“Édou told me: ‘Malick, look up, I’m going to save the penalty.’ At that moment, I thought he was just going to reassure me… but well, I wasn’t thinking straight, I was thinking about all the Senegalese people, about my family. It was difficult, and he really reassured me,” Diouf said.
The full-back reflected on the team’s mindset immediately after the save.
“When he saved it, we didn’t even try to go to the goalkeeper to celebrate. It was the moment to win. We knew we were going to win the match after that penalty. For them, it was a moment of doubt; for us, it was the moment to score,” he explained.
Diouf also spoke about the incident that led to the penalty, a foul on Morocco’s Brahim.
“I didn’t even think the referee would consult VAR. I don’t know, even if it was a penalty, we were lucky he missed it, and we were able to capitalize on that to score and win,” he said.
The Senegalese international took the opportunity to praise his teammate for the match-winning contribution.
“I thank Édou. I’m speechless. For me, he’s the best goalkeeper in African history. There’s no question about it,” Diouf concluded, underlining Mendy’s pivotal role in Senegal claiming the 2025 AFCON title.
The penalty save remains one of the defining moments of the tournament, cementing Senegal’s victory in a dramatic final at the Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat on 18 January.
