The final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will go down as a historic moment for Senegalese football. Victorious over Morocco, the Lions have written a new glorious chapter in their history. Yet, one detail intrigued fans and observers: after Édouard Mendy’s decisive save on Brahim Diaz’s penalty, the Senegalese players didn’t let their joy explode as one might have expected.
Today, Pape Gueye, the lone scorer of the final, sheds light on the reasons behind this measured attitude. Asked by a journalist from Téléfoot, he confirms: “Yeah, that’s right. We all have a gesture, but we don’t celebrate too much because the match continues. And there’s also the five-second rule with the goalkeeper, so we don’t want to penalize ourselves.”
This explanation highlights the discipline and focus that characterize the Senegalese team. For Pape Gueye, this restraint doesn’t reflect a lack of emotion, but a real strategy: “That’s what makes our team strong. We are aware of our qualities and we know that by playing our football, we can hurt a lot of teams. We talked about it afterward in the locker room: we knew we were going to win once the penalty was saved.”
The images from this moment raised many questions across the African continent. While Édouard Mendy’s save could have sparked a spectacular celebration, the players remained calm, showing both focus and determination. Their attitude illustrates that the Senegalese team is not just about fleeting moments of glory, but relies on consistency and emotional control to achieve their goals.
