AFCON 2025 final: "My heart hurts"... Brahim Diaz breaks his silence

On his Instagram account, Brahim Diaz broke his silence after a wild night in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.

Since Morocco's defeat and Senegal's triumph in the 2025 AFCON final, Brahim Diaz has come under fierce criticism. The Real Madrid midfielder faced heavy backlash after missing a Panenka-style penalty against Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy in the dying moments of regular time. After being met with jeers from the Atlas Lions fans following the match, Diaz spoke out on Instagram.

"My heart hurts. I dreamed of this title thanks to all the love you gave me, every message, every show of support that made me feel I wasn't alone. I fought with everything I had, and with my heart above all else. Yesterday I failed and I take full responsibility. I offer you my sincere apologies. It will be hard for me to get over this—these wounds do not heal easily, but I will try. Not just for myself, but for everyone who believed in me and everyone who suffered with me. I will keep moving forward so that one day I can give back this love and make my Moroccan people proud of me." wrote Diaz.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.