Senegal upset the odds to beat hosts Morocco and clinch the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in a showdown that will go down in history as one of the most controversial.

It is the second time in three editions that the Lions of Teranga have won the competition.

One may think it was a normal 1-0 win, but the scoreline does not tell the full story.

Senegal were 90 seconds away from potentially losing the title, but by the end of 120 minutes, it was the battle of the Lions , it was the Teranga ones that soared to victory.

Here are seven huge talking points from that defeat:

The game was as tight as they came. Morocco did create some chances, and so didSenegal.

Infact, the Senegalese thought they had found the back of the net in stoppage time through Ismaila Sarr to give them a win, only for the goal to be ruled out after Abdoulaye Seck was adjudged to have committed a foul.

The goal was not reviewed by VAR. Moments later, the game would really hit a tipping point. In the 98th minute, a penalty was given against them after El Hadji Djiouf felled Brahim Diaz in the box.

It left Senegal incandescent, perceiving the ordeal as “host nation bias” by Congolese referee Jean Jacques Ndala.  Coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players off the pitch.

For almost 20 minutes, the game hung in the balance. Edouard Mendy headed to the dressing room, and officials scrambled to restore order.

Sadio Mane’s leadership was the glue that prevented a disoriented Senegal side from completely blowing apart. During the walk off, it was Mane, alongside a few other players, who stayed on the pitch.

He convinced his teammates and coach Thiaw to accept the referee’s decision and “finish it on the grass”. It was a moment that effectively, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Senegal. They lifted the crown, and Mane was rightfully named player of the tournament.

Mane’s leadership was the glue that kept Senegal from disqualification.

During the walk-off, it was Mane who stayed on the pitch, eventually convincing his teammates and coach Thiaw to return and "finish it on the grass."

His assist for the winning goal capped off a legendary performance that cements his status as Africa’s ultimate big-game player.

Brahim Diaz was given the chance to finish the job by netting the penalty. Instead, he attempted a panenka penalty kick that backfired badly. Edouard Mendy stood his ground and routinely caught the ball with ease.

From then on, everything that could possibly have gone wrong for Morocco did.

From then on, it proved to be Senegal’s night. Withing four minutes of extratime, Gueye latched on to a Sadio Mane assist before unleashing a left-footed shot past a helpless Yassine Bounou to silence the 50,000-strong crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

Senegal were angered before the game by the kind of hostility they were getting from Morocco fans. The Senegalese Football Federation even filed formal complaints about the situation, citing a lack of security at the train station that saw players mobbed by fans.

They also refused to train at the Mohamed VI complex, claiming it compromised "sporting fairness" since it is the permanent base for the Moroccan national team.

For the Atlas Lions, this was supposed to be the coronation of a golden generation. Having not won an AFCON since 1976, the pressure of being hosts seemed to weigh heavy in the final moments. 

Despite dominating possession and having a "12th man" in the Rabat crowd, Walid Regragui’s side lacked the clinical edge to break down a battle-hardened Senegal defense.

Winning two AFCON titles in three editions prove Senegal are starting to assert their dominance as new kings of Africa. More impressive if you consider they also reached the 2019 final in Egypt but lost to Algeria.

This victory in the "lion's den" of Rabat proves that Senegal isn't just talented—they are mentally indestructible.

Senegal’s win was monumental for several reasons, and it proved they are finally a force that can sustain their dominance in Africa.