Morocco: Romain Saïss criticizes Brahim Diaz’s missed panenka in AFCON 2025 final

Former Moroccan national team captain Romain Saïss has expressed his disbelief over Brahim Diaz’s failed Panenka penalty that cost the Atlas Lions victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final on home soil.

Saïss, who retired from international duty with 86 caps and three goals, reflected on the dramatic moment in an interview with Colinterview.

In added time against Senegal on January 18, Diaz saw his panenka attempt saved by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy in the 90+24 minute, just as Morocco seemed poised for triumph following a tense quarter-hour, which had been briefly interrupted when Senegalese players left the pitch.

However, midfielder Pape Gueye’s stunning strike in extra time sealed the win for the Teranga Lions.

Locker Room Shock

“I turned around immediately, put my head in my hands, and thought, ‘He didn’t actually dare do that.’ You can miss a penalty, you know, in the Africa Cup of Nations, in the final, at the end of a match, it happened to us. Achraf (Hakimi) missed a penalty at a crucial moment. We moved on. He took the shot, he tried, whatever. Hakim Ziyech, same thing. It’s part of football. But then, when he did the Panenka, I said, ‘No, you can’t do that now.’”

Saïss highlighted that the criticism was as much about the audacious choice of technique as the miss itself. The dressing room, including former coach Walid Regragui, was reportedly stunned and angry at the gesture, which many perceived as reckless and presumptuous.

Debunking Conspiracy Theories

Speculation arose after the penalty that Diaz may have intentionally missed, possibly as part of a deal with Senegal, whose players had protested following a disallowed goal earlier in the match.

Saïss dismissed such notions outright: “After that, there were too many things about it, that he did it on purpose… He couldn’t do it on purpose. Nonsense! To say he deliberately missed a penalty at this level of competition.”

A Moment of Individualism?

Saïss questioned whether Diaz fully grasped the stakes: the final second of a match, Morocco’s first AFCON triumph in 50 years, and a home crowd in Rabat witnessing history unfold.

“It’s the final second, it’s been 50 years since you last won an Africa Cup of Nations, (…) it’s been more than 20 years since you last played in a final, you’re at home. (…) I wonder if he was aware of all that else going on.”

The episode is likely to rekindle debate over Diaz’s commitment to Morocco, following earlier criticism when he opted to represent the Atlas Lions instead of Spain.