CAN 2025: "EN PAREIL CAS JE N’AI AUCUNE COMPLAISANCE", HERVÉ RENARD ALLUME BRAHIM DIAZ APRÈS SA PANENKA MANQUÉE
Hervé Renard shared his thoughts on Brahim Diaz's missed Panenka penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal. Currently managing Saudi Arabia, the former Morocco coach criticized the Atlas Lions striker's attempt.
Seeking their second Africa Cup of Nations title, Morocco came within a hair's breadth of realizing their dream. But a missed penalty by Brahim Diaz in the dying moments of the final, followed by a thunderous strike from Pape Gueye in extra time, decided otherwise. As a result, the Atlas Lions' trophy drought continues, and their young striker finds himself the scapegoat for this failure. The blame lies with his completely botched Panenka penalty against Edouard Mendy. An unforgivable mistake, according to Hervé Renard.
"Missing a penalty is acceptable, but in such cases, I am categorical and I show no leniency," the current Saudi Arabia coach declared in an interview with the newspaper Le Parisien. "It's disrespectful to an entire country and an entire people who have been striving for success for 50 years."
Hervé Renard, who coached Morocco between 2016 and 2019 after winning the Africa Cup of Nations twice with Zambia and Ivory Coast (2012 and 2015), remained a keen observer of the continental tournament. He then tried to empathize with Walid Regragui after Brahim Diaz's failed attempt. This was easy for Renard, who had experienced a similar situation during the group stage of the recent Arab Cup in December 2025. Defeated by Tarik Sektioui's A' team, the Saudi Arabian coach had reprimanded his player.
"On a smaller scale, I actually experienced the same thing at the Arab Cup against Morocco. One of my players, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, completely botched his Panenka penalty," the coach recalled, echoing Brahim Diaz's penalty miss. "I asked him to come with me to the press conference afterwards and apologize."
Before admitting that he might have potentially lost it in another context: "If it had happened in the AFCON final, I might have completely lost it."
Brahim Diaz: From Hero to Zero in Morocco?
Having enjoyed an excellent 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil before this match against Senegal, Brahim Diaz scored five goals in the Atlas Lions' first five games. By winning and then taking the penalty in the final, the player who previously represented Spain could have become a hero to the local fans.
"Yesterday I failed and I take full responsibility for it. I offer you my sincerest apologies," the Moroccan striker finally wrote in a message posted on his social media.
But after a long wait to take his penalty (tensions arose and the Senegalese players even briefly returned to their dressing room), Brahim Diaz completely missed his Panenka. A disastrous shot, perhaps partly due to the interminable pause during which Edouard Mendy was able to prepare for the one-on-one and Diaz himself had time to think.
Commentaires (10)
Bruno Metsu sera toujours dans le cœur des Sénégalais. Suivez mon regard....
Euskeuy !
Restons fair-play. ET l'ane de vieille race qui se nomme ici Moulay Idriss, un IMbéCilE de la pire espece qui parle si insolemment de la femme de Metsu, suis desolé mais tu es le fruit d'un preservatif percé. On ne saurait aussi INSOLENT
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