Morocco fitness coach reveals Brahim Diaz’s pain after AFCON 2025 final ‘panenka’ miss

Morocco’s fitness coach, Eduardo Dominguez, has opened up about the emotional toll on Brahim Diaz after his missed penalty in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.

Diaz had attempted a risky “panenka” spot-kick, which failed, leaving him visibly shaken.

Dominguez described the moment to El Larguero as “so intense and painful that I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

He recalled that after the match, the team retreated in silence, grappling with shock and uncertainty.

“Nobody knew what would happen next,” he said.

His last memory of Diaz came at the airport, where the player appeared deeply emotional.

“There’s not much you can say to someone carrying that weight in his mind,” Dominguez admitted.

The missed penalty has become one of the defining moments of the tournament. Diaz had been Morocco’s standout performer, scoring five goals and guiding the team to their first final since 2004.

The opportunity to secure the nation’s first title since 1976 ended in heartbreak after the delicate Panenka attempt went awry.

Despite the miss, Diaz’s reputation remained intact. His consistent performances made him one of the tournament’s best players, and Morocco’s unbeaten run under coach Walid Regragui—32 matches without defeat—added even more weight to the final.

The 2025 final will also be remembered for off-field chaos. Senegal’s team walked off after the VAR-verified penalty decision, sparking vandalism and unrest.

Moroccan court has since handed down sentences to 18 arrested fans, ranging from three months to a year in prison.

Meanwhile, CAF sanctioned Senegalese coach Pape Bouna Thiaw with a five-match ban and a $100,000 fine.

The tournament’s final thus leaves a bittersweet legacy: Diaz’s personal anguish, a nation’s dashed hopes, and the ongoing fallout from the events surrounding the match.