The final of the AFCON 2025 tournament between Senegal and Morocco was marred by unprecedented chaotic scenes, leading to widespread condemnation and calls for severe disciplinary action. Despite ultimately securing a 1-0 victory in extra time with a goal from Villarreal's Pape Gueye, Senegal's win has been overshadowed by their team's controversial walk-off protest during second-half stoppage time, sparking a major debate over the integrity of football.

The dramatic events unfolded after a series of contentious refereeing decisions. In the 92nd minute of injury time, Senegal appeared to score a winning goal, only for the referee to disallow it for an alleged foul, a decision not reviewed by VAR. Just three minutes later, in the 95th minute, at the opposite end of the pitch, Morocco was awarded a penalty following a claim that Senegalese player Diouf had fouled Brahim Díaz in the box. The referee, advised by VAR, reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor and confirmed the penalty. In protest against this decision, Senegal's head coach, Pape Thiaw, reportedly instructed his players to leave the pitch, leading to a lengthy disruption of 14 to 17 minutes as the team staged a walk-off.

Renowned ESPN football commentator Ian Darke was among the first to demand drastic measures, calling for the AFCON 2025 final to be replayed or for Morocco to be declared 3-0 winners. Darke argued that allowing a team to walk off the pitch, delay the game significantly, and still be crowned champions sets a dangerous precedent, describing the situation as