Rare leadership traits exhibited at AFCON 2025
The grand finale of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON ‘25) biennial soccer tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) happened before a crowd of some 66,526 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the city of Rabat, Morocco.
The twenty-four-nation tournament that started on December 21, 2025, and played at nine stadiums across six cities in Morocco ended on January 18, 2026.
It was the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, which was characterized by some fluid and flair soccer and with all attributes associated with any highly charged competition.
Morocco, as host nation, played the Comoros Island in the opening match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium and scored twice with no reply from the Comoros Island. Unfortunately, this same stadium proved to be the Waterloo of the Morocco national soccer team.
The final tournament between the two greatest African soccer nations was reminiscent of the African saying “When two elephants (in this case, lions) fight, it is the forest that suffers.”
In the end, Senegal’s Lions of Teranga tamed the Atlas Lions of Morocco to lift the Cup for the second time since their first appearance in the competition in 1965. Senegal first won the AFCON Cup in 2021.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (Federation Royale Marocaine de Football – FRMF), headed by its President Fouzi Lekjaa, must be highly commended for organizing AFCON 2025 the way it did. The meticulous efforts invested in infrastructure and human resources would be the envy of any nation that embarks on a similar project.
From stadia egresses to pitch quality, accessibility, safety and security, the FRMF demonstrated that it has the wherewithal to organize competition at the highest level.
AFCON 2025 came and ended with all the trappings associated with fierce competitions – highly charged and thrilling games, frustrations and emotions, officiating controversies, challenges and chaos, breathtaking and near misses – plus some.
Unsurprisingly, the tournament also had its firsts: more goals scored – 121 – than in any AFCON tournament, and Moroccan midfielder and Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz became the first player to score in five different matches in the tournament. He was also the top scorer in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers.
As fate would have it, the man who claimed the Puma Golden Boot winner by being the top scorer in AFCON 2025 squandered a golden opportunity that shattered Morocco’s dream of winning the Cup since it last won it 50 years ago.
Controversy and Chaos
At a high point of passion in the game, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala of the Democratic Republic of Congo awarded a penalty to Morocco deep into stoppage time of regular play. Brahim Diaz of Morocco was tackled down in the penalty box from a Moroccan corner kick.
Officials of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) invited the referee to a TV screen on the sideline for a critical look and analysis. Jean-Jacques Ndala pointed to the spot kick for a penalty. All hell broke loose after the penalty call.
Statesmanship and Sportsmanship
In vehement protest against the given penalty, Senegalese head coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players off the field and into their locker room. Among the few Senegalese players who remained on the field in the chaotic scenario was senior player and one of contemporary Africa’s formidable soccer warriors, Sadio Mane.
We’re not privy to the private conversations that transpired between Sadio Mane and Claude Le Roy and others on the sidelines, but the 33-year-old Al-Nassr left-winger urged his teammates back onto the soccer field to continue the game.
“Lose as a man, win as a man,” Sadio Mane said later in an interview. “It would be crazy and sad to see this kind of image.” “Africa football deserves more than this,” he added.
Sadio Mane’s influence, impact, yet poignant leadership and the confidence that he exuded as he delivered the message for his teammates to come back to the field to play cannot be underestimated.
This single act not only saved an otherwise successful competition, but delivered Africa from international ridicule, disrepute, and a burdensome and unending headache for CAF organizers.
In fact, Sadio Mane saved the image of world soccer.
Extrapolating, we wish for current and potential political leaders of Africa to take a cue out of Sadio Mane’s gallant display of leadership. Democratic elections must not be won at all costs, even if some of the populace may think otherwise.
Free-will politics, like soccer, is a game of chance. The best or incumbent political party does not always win. “Lose as a man, win as a man,” philosophized Mane Sadio.
At the end of it all, the tournament’s top scorer and Morocco’s Starboy Diaz stepped up to take a feeble Panenka kick that ended up straight in the waiting hands of Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
We commend Senegal for their win against all odds. We also doff our hats off for the Atlas Lions for a spirited fight. The mountain lion is wounded but it shall rise up again and come down off the mountain with vengeance.
As for Sanio Mane, he gets Amandla’s vote – or rather our support – if he decides to run for the highest office in Senegal in the near future!