Belhanda suspects arrangement between Brahim Diaz and Mendy over AFCON 2025 final penalty

Nine months after the AFCON 2025 final, the official winner is still unknown — and speculation surrounding the decisive penalty shows no sign of fading. Invited to the Riolo Club, former Morocco international Younès Belhanda advanced a troubling theory: Brahim Diaz may have deliberately informed Edouard Mendy of his intention to attempt a panenka.

“I think they arranged something on the penalty. I think Brahim Diaz told Edouard Mendy that he was going to do that,” Belhanda declared, before immediately qualifying his remarks. “There is no evidence, it’s a feeling.” The former midfielder notably cites the reaction of Senegal’s players at the moment of the shot, which he judges incompatible with the tension of a final.

As a reminder of the facts: on January 18 in Rabat, Senegal won 1-0 after extra time, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal after Edouard Mendy had saved Brahim Diaz’s panenka attempt. The penalty had been awarded to Morocco late in regular time, triggering the anger of the Lions of Teranga who left the pitch without the referee’s permission — an interruption of more than a quarter of an hour before play resumed.

It was precisely this departure from the field that led the CAF appeals jury to reverse the result on March 17, awarding victory to Morocco by default (3-0). The Senegal Football Federation has since taken the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which has not yet rendered its decision.

Belhanda acknowledges having “held it against” Brahim Diaz for attempting this gesture, before putting it in perspective. “But ultimately, you tell yourself: I could have been in his situation and done the same thing. If he scores it… Look at Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy, you say he was phenomenal.” A way of absolving the Real Madrid player, even if the question of the official title remains entirely open.