Herve Renard won the AFCON title as Zambia head coach
Head coach of the Saudi Arabia national team, Hervé Renard, has chided Brahim Díaz’s penalty style during Morocco’s 1–0 loss to Senegal in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
According to him, although the Los Blancos forward missed the penalty, the Panenka was not appropriate and he should have done better.
The former coach of Morocco at the 2018 World Cup fumed that, with the nation having waited nearly 50 years for the title, the attempt was disrespectful to the entire citizenry.
Mané, Gueye, Mendy: Meet the masterminds behind Senegal’s AFCON success
“The Brahim Díaz Panenka penalty? You have the right to miss a penalty, but in such a case, I am categorical that I have no sympathy. It’s a lack of respect for an entire country and an entire people seeking success for 50 years,” he said.
During the final, the host nation were awarded a penalty in the dying minutes of added time when Brahim Díaz was brought down in the box by a Senegalese defender.
Díaz missed the penalty, as his Panenka attempt was easily saved by Édouard Mendy, sending the game into extra time.
In the early stages of the first half of extra time, Pape Gueye struck a powerful shot into the top corner from the edge of the box to secure victory for the Teranga Lions.
After the game, Díaz was subjected to online abuse as some aggrieved Moroccan supporters stormed his social media pages to hurl insults and accuse him of missing the penalty on purpose.
The player has apologised to the fans for the miss and promised to do better in the future.
Read Renard’s comment below:
🚨🗣️ Hervé Renard: “The Brahim Diaz panenka penalty?”
“You have the right to miss a penalty, but in such a case, I am categorical that I have no sympathy.”
“It’s a lack of respect for an entire country and an entire people seeking a success for 50 years.” pic.twitter.com/iTNttq8gGf
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) January 19, 2026
SB/JE
Meanwhile, watch as Ghanaians celebrate Senegal’s AFCON triumph
