Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz is left in tears after missed Panenka penalty in the TWENTY FOURTH-minute of stoppage costs Morocco in AFCON final

Brahim Diaz, formerly of Manchester City and currently of Real Madrid, was left in tears on Sunday after missing a last-minute Panenka penalty attempt in astounding fashion to almost certainly cost his Morocco team the Africa Cup of Nations title.

Incredible scenes saw Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw direct his players off the pitch in apparent protest over the late penalty awarded to Morocco in the dying minutes of normal time.

Real Madrid star Diaz went down tussling for the ball in the box, with the referee Jean-Jacques Ndala and VAR taking their time over the decision to award the spot kick. 

After Ndala consulted the monitor, Morocco were given the penalty, but the decision over whether it was deserved boiled over into a row between players and coaches – with Thiaw then calling his squad off.

When they eventually returned, Diaz took the penalty in the 24th minute of stoppage time, but dramatically attempted a Panenka – chipped – effort against former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who read the kick.

Mendy calmy caught the penalty, and the final whistle was blown not long after to trigger extra time. Diaz, meanwhile, was inconsolable, and his team would eventually go onto lose 1-0 after extra time.

Diaz attempted to chip his penalty into the back of the net in the 24th-minute of stoppage time

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui appeared frustrated with his player in the break between full-time and the first period of extra time, seen visibly remonstrating with Diaz as others tried to refocus the forward.

The 26-year-old appeared for the first period of extra time, but was ineffective before eventually being substituted in the 98th minute.

Prior to the game, Diaz was the leading goal scorer in the tournament and it finished that way too, with the Morocco man netting five goals – though his total could have been six. He was awkwardly given the Golden Boot by FIFA president Gianni Infantino on the field during the trophy presentation.

Former Nigeria striker Efan Ekoku said on Channel 4 that he wondered ‘what Brahim Diaz (was) doing’ and called him ‘too clever for his own good.’ 

‘To do that is absolutely ridiculous,’ he continued. ‘He may never ever get another chance to score a winning goal in an AFCON final.’

Fans were also quick to flock to social media to air their views. One posted on X: ‘Worst penalty ever. He had one job and he decided to gamble with it. What a shame.’

Another posted: ‘This Brahim Diaz panenka attempt is the worst and best penalty of this AFCON tournament. Context is key on this one. Senegal deserve to dunk on this referee.’

A third added: ‘I think if I was Brahim Diaz and I was choosing between chipping a penalty in the 24th minute of injury time in a final, and doing literally anything else, I would’ve done literally anything else.’

He had to awkwardly accept his Golden Boot award from Gianni Infantino during the trophy presentation

Fans took to social media to criticise the star for his effort after his side ended up losing

Diaz was mocked on Wikipedia, with one fan suggesting he is ‘not Moroccan’ and branding him ‘Mr Bottlejob’

The mocking also made its way to Wikipedia, with one fan changing the introduction of Diaz’s profile to: ‘Brahim Abdelkader Diaz … is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder of winger for LaLiga club Real Madrid and the Morocco national team. This guy is not Moroccan bro. Mr Bottlejob.’

Pape Gueye scored the winner for Senegal as they regained the title they lost two years ago.