El Hadji Malick Diouf, Idrissa Gueye, Iliman Ndiaye, Ismaila Sarr, Pape Sarr and Habib Diarra have won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in an utterly extraordinary final.
Pape Gueye’s superb solo strike four minutes into extra time saw Senegal crowned champions of Africa for the second time.
That, though, was only part of the story on a night of scarcely believable controversy.
Penalty drama
Morocco had been presented with a golden opportunity to end their 50-year wait for AFCON success when they were awarded a penalty in the eighth and final minute of second-half stoppage time, but that decision sparked astonishing scenes in Rabat.
Furious that a goal by Crystal Palace's Sarr had been harshly disallowed just minutes earlier, Senegal boss Pape Thiaw called his players off the pitch, with some even heading back down the tunnel.
By the time Brahim Diaz eventually stepped up to take the penalty, some 16 minutes had elapsed, and the Real Madrid man could only muster a tame Panenka straight into the hands of former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Watch: When Mendy saved Aguero's Panenka attempt in 2021
We’ve seen Edouard Mendy save a Panenka before 👀 pic.twitter.com/9j3fQJHTWG
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 18, 2026
The drama didn’t end there. Sarr’s memorable goal got Senegal off to the ideal start in extra time, but they had to survive Morocco hitting the crossbar and see Yassine Bounou’s remarkable save deny them a seemingly certain second goal before finally being able to celebrate.
Diouf (West Ham United), Gueye, Ndiaye (both Everton) and Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur) and Diarra (Sunderland) take the total number of players to get their hands on the trophy while playing their club football in the Premier League to 24.
Meanwhile, Palace's Sarr and Spurs' Sarr, have won AFCON for the second time as a Premier League player.
New record of Premier League AFCON winners in a single squad
Six Premier League players in an AFCON-winning squad is also a new high, breaking the previous record of four in 2021 and 2023.
Leeds United team-mates Lucas Radebe and Philemon Masinga were the Premier League’s first AFCON champions with South Africa in 1996, while Riyad Mahrez and Lauren are the only two players to win AFCON and the Premier League title in the same year.
The full list of Premier League players to triumph at AFCON is as follows:
1996 (South Africa): Lucas Radebe & Phil Masinga – Leeds United
2000 (Cameroon): Rigobert Song – Liverpool; Marc Viven Foe – West Ham United
2002 (Cameroon): Lauren – Arsenal
2006 (Egypt): Mido – Tottenham Hotspur
2008 (Egypt): Mohamed Shawky – Middlesbrough
2013 (Nigeria): John Obi Mikel & Victor Moses – Chelsea
2015 (Ivory Coast): Cheick Tiote – Newcastle United; Kolo Toure – Liverpool; Yaya Toure – Manchester City
2019 (Algeria): Riyad Mahrez – Manchester City
2021 (Senegal): Sadio Mane – Liverpool; Edouard Mendy – Chelsea; Nampalys Mendy – Leicester City; Ismaila Sarr – Watford; Pape Sarr – Tottenham Hotspur
2023 (Ivory Coast): Simon Adingra – Brighton & Hove Albion; Serge Aurier, Willy Boly & Ibrahima Sangare – Nottingham Forest
2025 (Senegal): Habib Diarra – Sunderland; Malick Diouf –West Ham United; Idrissa Gueye & Iliman Ndiaye – Everton Ismaila Sarr – Crystal Palace; Pape Sarr – Tottenham Hotspur
The Premier League players involved in the AFCON final and third-place playoff – in which Nigeria defeated Egypt on penalties – now return to their clubs after a month away.
They could return to Premier League action in Matchweek 23, which sees the following fixtures take place.
(Kick-off times GMT)
Saturday 24 January
12:30: West Ham v Sunderland
15:00: Burnley v Spurs
15:00: Fulham v Brighton
15:00: Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
17:30: AFC Bournemouth v Liverpool
Sunday 25 January
14:00: Brentford v Nottingham Forest
14:00: Crystal Palace v Chelsea
14:00: Newcastle United v Aston Villa
16:30: Arsenal v Manchester United
Monday 26 January
20:00: Everton v Leeds United