AFCON Star Who Missed Crucial Penalty Was Viewed as Mohamed Salah Successor

Brahim Diaz, the Real Madrid star once hailed as the natural successor to Liverpool's Mohamed Salah for the Moroccan national team, suffered a heartbreaking moment at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) by disastrously missing a crucial penalty.

The incident unfolded in a high-stakes quarter-final clash between Morocco and Senegal in Rabat. With the game finely poised, VAR spotted a minor tug on Diaz's shirt by Senegal's El Hadji Malick Diouf, awarding Morocco a penalty. Chaos erupted as Senegal coach Pape Thiaw led most of his outraged players off the pitch in protest, only returning after intervention from Sadio Mane, the living legend coaxing them back.^[1]

Diaz stepped up, opting for a risky Panenka—a cheeky chip down the middle. It proved catastrophic. Nigerian ex-striker Daniel Amokachi lambasted it on BBC Sport, saying Diaz "threw away all of his glorious moments" with one "stupid spot-kick."^[1] The miss handed Senegal a lifeline, shifting momentum in a match already marred by controversy, including Thiaw's earlier gripes about Morocco's hotel security.^[1]

Diaz's AFCON agony echoed broader tournament heartbreaks. Salah himself faced penalty misery, missing in Egypt's shootout loss to Nigeria for third place, finishing fourth—their worst since 1984. Both Salah and Omar Marmoush saw efforts saved by Stanley Nwabali, despite Salah's four goals prior.^[2] Tunisia's Sami Trabelsi also endured despair, conceding a late penalty to Mali, leading to a shootout defeat.^[1]

Once tipped as Salah's heir for his flair and goal threat, Diaz's Panenka blunder tarnishes a glittering career. At Real Madrid, he's dazzled, but this AFCON miss—eternal in football lore—may haunt him, underscoring penalty pressures on emerging stars. Morocco's campaign crumbled, amplifying Mane's legacy amid Senegal's drama.^[1]

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