Senegal have won AFCON twice despite title dispute – Édouard Mendy

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Édouard Mendy says he considers Senegal to have won the Africa Cup of Nations twice despite the ongoing legal dispute over the outcome of the 2025 final against Morocco.

Senegal beat hosts Morocco in the final at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat in January, with Pape Gueye scoring the winning goal in extra time after Mendy had saved a late penalty from Brahim Díaz.

However, the match was overshadowed by a controversial incident in stoppage time when Senegal’s players temporarily left the pitch after Morocco were awarded a penalty.

The Senegal team later returned to complete the match, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) subsequently awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory and stripped Senegal of the title.

Senegal have appealed against the decision, with a preliminary hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland scheduled for next month.

Mendy, who was a key member of Senegal’s golden generation and helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2021, remains adamant that his country won the final on the pitch.

“The only thing we have to remember is that the game went to the end. We went off the pitch but the game restarted,” Mendy told The Guardian.

“For me there is no issue because the final was completed – we were given the trophy and celebrated in our country. That was it.

“When you speak to me about the AFCON, I just simply tell you: ‘Yes, we have won it twice.’”

Mendy was at the centre of the dramatic closing stages of the final, having been booked during the lengthy interruption before being called upon to face Díaz’s penalty.

The former Chelsea goalkeeper says he remained calm despite the tension inside the stadium and believes he anticipated Díaz’s attempt to chip the ball down the middle.

“I had to stay patient and try to have a cool head because everywhere else there was fire,” Mendy said.

“I realised two steps before he shot. Usually when a player does a Panenka they slow down for the last step, but I noticed he did it early.

“I know his preferred side is on the right. But when I saw him slow down way before, I just stood up and managed to catch the ball.”

Mendy also recalled the chaotic circumstances surrounding the penalty, including a lengthy delay, complaints over his towel being taken and lasers being directed towards his eyes from the stands.

Despite those distractions, he kept his focus and Senegal went on to score through Gueye early in extra time.

The result appeared to secure Senegal’s second AFCON title in four years, after their first triumph in 2022.

CAF’s subsequent decision has left the status of that victory unresolved, with Senegal’s appeal now set to be considered by CAS.

Mendy says he does not believe the legal dispute changes how Senegal’s players view what happened that night.

“I’m not a lawyer but it’s just common sense. You can’t change something that has already been decided,” he said.

The former international goalkeeper, who has since retired from international football, remains convinced that Senegal’s players earned the title on the field despite CAF’s ruling.