Diaz’s ‘nightmare’ moment as Panenka failure costs Morocco AFCON glory

It was a moment that promised to etch Brahim Diaz’s name into Moroccan folklore, but instead ended in a personal nightmare that may haunt the Real Madrid forward for the rest of his career.

With the Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal goalless in the eighth minute of stoppage time, Diaz stood over a penalty kick that would likely have ended his country’s 50-year wait for the trophy. Having already scored five goals to propel the hosts to the showpiece event, the tournament’s top scorer opted for an audacious ‘Panenka’ chip. The gamble backfired spectacularly as Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy stood his ground to catch the ball with embarrassing ease, a blunder that ultimately condemned Morocco to a 1-0 defeat in extra time.

The psychological weight of the error was immediately apparent. As the full-time whistle blew moments later, Diaz appeared distraught, and television cameras later captured the winger fighting back tears on the bench after being substituted in extra time. His misery was compounded when Pape Gueye struck the winner for Senegal in the 94th minute, ensuring the Atlas Lions’ half-century title drought continued.

The failed spot-kick came under extraordinary circumstances, with Diaz forced to wait approximately 17 minutes to take the penalty. Senegal’s players, led by Mendy, had walked off the pitch in protest at the award, creating a high-pressure delay that Morocco head coach Walid Regragui believes affected his star player.

“He had a lot of time before taking the penalty which must have disturbed him,” Regragui said. “But we can’t change what happened. That is how he chose to take the penalty. We need to look forwards now.”

The decision to attempt such a high-risk technique in a continental final drew sharp criticism and sympathy from watching pundits. Former Morocco midfielder Hassan Kachloul, speaking on Channel 4, predicted that Diaz would have “a lot of nightmares in the coming days,” while former Nigeria captain Jon Obi Mikel suggested the miss “spoils everything” Diaz had achieved during an otherwise flawless tournament.

“He is going to be devastated,” Mikel added. “This is going to be tough on him, for weeks, for months.”

Fellow former Nigeria international Daniel Amokachi lamented that Diaz had “thrown away all of his glorious moments” from the competition, while Efan Ekoku offered perhaps the starkest assessment, concluding that it was “a moment Brahim Diaz will never get over.”