 "Brahim Diaz issues heart-wrenching apology as conspiracy theories swirl over Panenka penalty miss in AFCON final")
Amid conspiracy theories that Moroccan winger Brahim Diaz deliberately missed a penalty in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final on Sunday, the Real Madrid player has issued a heartbreaking apology after failing to end the country’s 50-year agonising wait for the continental showpiece.
Diaz had a golden opportunity to win the AFCON for Morocco when he earned a penalty in the last minute of the injury time of the normal time after being brought down in the box by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf. While the penalty was awarded in the 90 + 8th minute, it was taken in the 90 + 24th minute due to a brief protest from Senegal as their players walked off the pitch.
When Senegalese players returned after efforts from star player Sadio Mane, Diaz attempted a weak Panenka shot that was saved easily by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Senegal later went on to win the final after Pape Gueye scored a winner in the added time.
Did Brahim Diaz missed penalty vs Senegal on purpose?
Diaz’s miss after Senegal created a commotion soon sparked multiple conspiracy theories on social media as fans and journalists accused the Golden Boot winner of deliberately missing the penalty.
“Morocco’s Brahim Díaz taking a Panenka was a deliberate act of sportsmanship, a conscious decision to miss the penalty after the referee had already ruined the match by wrongly denying Senegal a legitimate goal,” Kenyan journalist Edgar said on X.
Morocco’s Brahim Díaz taking a Panenka was a deliberate act of sportsmanship, a conscious decision to miss the penalty after the referee had already ruined the match by wrongly denying Senegal a legitimate goal.
— EDGAR 🇰🇪 (@edgarwabwire_) January 18, 2026
In that moment, both Sadio Mané and Díaz helped restore dignity and…
“In that moment, both Sadio Mané and Díaz helped restore dignity and respect to African football. The sight of Senegalese players walking off toward the dressing room could have been disastrous for the tournament, but their restraint and Díaz’s gesture helped defuse a situation that was spiraling out of control.”
Social media handles also propagated the same theory, as many claimed a quick deal was brokered on the pitch between Senegal’s Mane and the Moroccan team, who agreed that Diaz would deliberately miss the spot kick to keep the scoreline goalless so that the match could continue.
Sadio Mané was spoken to about a mutual decision for Brahim Díaz to intentionally miss the penalty at the AFCON final between Morocco and Senegal. He agreed, called Mendy and the other players off the pitch—and Brahim Díaz played a Panenka.
— Dr Penking™ (@drpenking) January 19, 2026
pic.twitter.com/nFYrGVidE1
A popular Italian journalist, Tancredi Palmeri, questioned the lack of celebration from Senegal players when Diaz missed the penalty, suggesting that the whole thing was fixed.
How on earth is it possible that Senegal players don’t celebrate at all when Mendy save the penalty on Brahim Diaz?!
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) January 18, 2026
I say again: in my opinion it was missed on purpose#AFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/xlx35baPgg
In reality, it’s quite preposterous to suggest that Diaz missed the penalty on purpose when the whole nation had been waiting to win the AFCON for the last 50 years.
Also Read | A champion by choice, not chance: The quiet authority of Sadio Mane
Senegal goalkeeper Mendy had also rejected the theory, making a similar reassertion. “No, of course not. We have to be serious,” Mendy said when asked if Diaz missed the penalty on purpose.
“Do you really think that with one minute left and a country that has been waiting 50 years for a title, we can reach an agreement? He wanted to score and I deserve credit for stopping him, that’s all.”
Diaz issues apology for penalty miss
On Monday, 26-year-old Spanish-born Diaz issued a heart-braking apology for missing the most crucial spot kick in his life.
“My soul hurts. I dreamed of this title. Thanks to all the love you all gave me, every message, every show of support that made me feel I wasn’t alone. I fought with everything I had, with my heart above all else,” Diaz wrote on social media.
“Yesterday I failed and I take full responsibility. I apologise from the bottom of my heart. It will be hard for me to recover, because this wound doesn’t heal easily… but I will try. Not for myself, but for everyone who believed in me and for everyone who suffered with me.
“I will keep going forward until one day I can give you all this love back and become a source of pride for my Moroccan people,” added Diaz.
Meanwhile, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation has decided to file a complaint with CAF and FIFA regarding Senegal’s walkout, an act they believe unsettled Diaz.
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