Senegal wins Africa Cup after walk-off protest, chaos over controversial penalty for host Morocco

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Senegal has won the Africa Cup of Nations in dramatic fashion.

Pape Gueye scored in extra time for the Teranga Lions to beat host Morocco 1-0 in a chaotic final on Sunday which at one point saw fans trying to storm the field and Senegal’s players walking off the pitch to protest a penalty decision deep into second-half stoppage time.

It appeared unclear if the game could continue as fans battled with stewards.

“We all saw what happened at the end of the match but we took the decision to come back onto the pitch and give everything,” Gueye said.

Play resumed after a stoppage of 14 minutes, only for Senegal's Édouard Mendy to easily save Brahim Díaz’s attempt at a Panenka penalty when he lobbed the ball straight into the goalkeeper’s arms with the last kick of normal time.

Gueye then scored the winning goal in the fourth minute of extra time when he swept the ball into the top right corner with his left boot.

The 69,500-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium emptied quickly after the final whistle. Few were left to see the Senegalese players lift the trophy.

It’s Senegal’s second Africa Cup win. The Teranga Lions won the 2021 edition after a penalty shootout against Egypt.

There was chaos before extra time after Morocco was awarded a controversial stoppage-time penalty just after Senegal had what seemed a good goal ruled out at the other end.

Senegal's goal in the second minute of stoppage time was ruled out for a foul by Abdoulaye Seck, but TV replays showed little contact on Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi, who fell before Seck headed the ball off the post. Ismaila Sarr headed in the rebound.

Then Morocco claimed a penalty for a pull by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim, and it was awarded after Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala checked replays.

The decision led to fights between some of the Moroccan substitutes and their opposing players with Morocco coach Walid Regragui also involved, possibly in a bid to calm the situation.

Anger spilled over among the organized group of Senegalese fans, with many jumping down among the photographers and trying to storm the field from behind one of the goals. At least one threw a chair onto the field. They were mostly held back by a long line of police.

There were also fights in the press box — possibly involving Moroccan and Senegalese fans masquerading as journalists to get accreditation — while tempers flared.

“The image we gave of African football was rather shameful,” Regragui said.

Senegal coach Pape Thiaw led his team off the field while Moroccan fans celebrated the penalty decision and whistled the ongoing fighting on the field.

The players returned some 14 minutes later and Brahim – Morocco's star and the tournament's top scorer with five goals – missed the chance to end Morocco's 50-year wait for the trophy.

“Football sometimes is cruel and today we lost,” Regragui said. “We know in a final you need to take the few chances that come your way. That penalty in the last seconds could have won us the title.”

Brahim was whistled by the remaining Morocco fans when he went to collect his runners-up medal.

Instead, Gueye scored Senegal's first goal from open play — rather than from penalties — in a final. This was Senegal's fourth appearance in an Africa Cup final.

“Sadio (Mané) told us to come back on and we re-mobilized,” Gueye said. "Édouard then made the save, we stayed focused, got the goal and won the game.”

Before the game, the Senegalese Football Federation decried a lack of “fair play” from the Moroccan hosts before the final, citing an alleged lack of security, problems with the team hotel, training facilities and ability to get tickets for its supporters.

Senegal was without suspended captain Kalidou Koulibaly and midfielder Habib Diarra, and dealt a further blow before kickoff when Krépin Diatta and Ousseynou Niang both got injured in the warmup. Diatta had been due to start at right back.

Senegalese anger at the penalty decision came after Morocco also seemed to benefit from favorable refereeing calls in previous games. Regragui angrily rejected suggestions the home team was being favored.

Thiaw's post-game press conference was called off because of journalists shouting and arguing when he emerged for their questions. Their arguments continued after Thiaw left the podium.

For Morocco, a 2030 World Cup co-host, defeat is a demoralizing blow. The kingdom has invested heavily in soccer facilities and infrastructure. One of the most aggressive infrastructure buildouts in African sporting history fueled protests in October from mostly young Moroccans who feel other areas are being neglected.

AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations

This story was first published on Jan. 19, 2026. It was updated on Jan. 23, 2026 to correct that Ismaila Sarr, not Moussa Niakhaté, scored a goal in stoppage time that was disallowed.

Senegal's Sadio Mane holds the trophy aloft as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Youssef Loulidi)

Senegal's head coach Pape Thiaw holds the trophy after winning the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match agaisnt Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Senegal's Idrissa Gueye celebrates after winning the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Senegal's Sadio Mane holds the trophy aloft as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Youssef Loulidi)

Sebegalese players celebrate after winning the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Moroccan players lie after losing the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Senegal's Sadio Mane celebrates after winning the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Senegal's and Morocco[s players scuffle after a penalty call during the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Senegal's and Morocco[s players scuffle after a penalty call during the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Senegal fans react during the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Senegal's and Morocco[s players scuffle after a penalty call during the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

English actor Idris Elba performs during a closing ceremony ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

A general view of the closing ceremony ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

A general view of the closing ceremony ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Darren Jason Watkins Jr., American YouTuber known as IShowSpeed, runs during the closing ceremony ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Senegal players walk onto the pitch before the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Morocco fan waits for the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Senegal fans wait for the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

NEW YORK (AP) — Luigi Mangione’s guilty plea on Friday to federal stalking-to-kill charges raised immediate questions about why he decided to enter that plea, how it’ll affect his parallel state murder case and what his lawyers might do to prevent Mangione from spending the rest of his life in prison.

In a stunning turn, Mangione pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to a pair of stalking charges and admitted that he targeted and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as the executive walked to his company’s investor conference at a Manhattan hotel in 2024.

Neither Mangione nor his lawyers said why he pleaded guilty now, but they gave some clues.

Immediately after his plea, Mangione’s lawyers filed paperwork seeking to have the state case thrown out on double jeopardy grounds. That trial is scheduled to begin next month, but could be pushed back or canceled altogether depending on what the judge decides.

If it succeeds, Mangione’s defense team could concentrate on trying to convince the judge in his federal case, Margaret Garnett, to spare him from the life sentence that prosecutors say they intend to seek when he’s sentenced on Dec. 18.

In their double jeopardy filing Friday, Mangione’s lawyers described him as a “pawn in parallel prosecutions," and defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo accused state and federal prosecutors of “trying to punish him twice for the exact conduct.”

Indeed, Mangione remains scheduled to go to trial on state murder charges beginning Sept. 8. His federal trial — now moot because of his guilty plea — was set for January.

Complicating matters, anything said in federal court — including Mangione's statements Friday admitting to killing Thompson — potentially could be used against him in state court, or vice versa.

But that's not all. Prosecutors say they have a trove of evidence that proves Mangione’s guilt, including: Video of him shooting Thompson and tailing him the day before; Mangione’s DNA and fingerprints on items at or near the crime scene; testimony from shooting witnesses; a 3D-printed 9mm pistol that police found in his backpack when he was arrested that authorities said matched the gun used to kill Thompson; and a notebook found with Mangione at the time of his arrest in which he expressed a willingness to kill a healthcare executive.

The defense previously argued all the items in Mangione's backpack were obtained in an unconstitutional search, but judges in both the federal and state cases disagreed.

Mangione's guilty plea, just three weeks before jury selection in his state murder trial, appeared to be part of a larger defense strategy to swiftly resolve both cases, minimize his legal consequences and, perhaps, give him a chance to live some of his life outside a prison cell. Earlier plea talks broke down in June.

Within minutes of his plea, Mangione’s lawyers petitioned the judge in the state case, Gregory Carro, to throw out those charges on double jeopardy grounds. Instead of two trials — and two potential sentences that could run back-to-back — they are fighting for just one and are sure to argue he deserves a far lesser sentence than life in prison.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, which is prosecuting the state case, will have a chance to respond to the defense's double jeopardy motion before Carro rules. In a statement, the office said it would fight efforts to terminate the state case, in part because Mangione's sentence in the federal case isn't yet known. Thompson's family members, in a statement, suggested they are also looking forward to the state case going to trial. Mangione has pleaded not guilty in the state case.

Compared with federal law and that of other states, New York has uncommonly strong protections for defendants facing multiple prosecutions — though they are not guaranteed.

Bragg's office contends that the state charges, including murder and firearms offenses, involve different legal elements and criminal conduct than federal charges, which alleged Mangione traveled across state lines to stalk and kill Thompson.

However Carro rules, his decision will be subject to appeal, meaning a final answer on whether Mangione faces a state trial could take a while.

Mangione’s lawyers previously fended off the government’s attempts to seek the death penalty. Now they're fighting for a sentence that's less than the life term U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said federal prosecutors intend to seek. Life is also the maximum punishment in Mangione's state case.

Unlike other defendants, Mangione doesn't have a plea deal with prosecutors. There were “no accommodations or concessions, and we are free to seek the maximum penalty under the law," McDonald said.

Still, Garnett noted in court that the government’s calculation of federal sentencing guidelines would call for a sentence of 24 to 30 years in prison. Mangione's lawyers can submit their own calculation and both sides can argue for greater or lesser punishment in submissions to the judge. Such filings typically chronicle the impact of a defendant's crimes, as well as his history, upbringing and other aggravating or mitigating factors.

Mangione will also be interviewed by probation officers, Garnett said, adding that the report they produce will factor heavily in her sentencing decision. Judges are free to ignore sentencing guidelines, which are intended to reduce disparities in punishments levied for the same crimes.

Garnett told Mangione she is obliged to determine what she thinks is the correct guideline range and “more importantly what I think the appropriate sentence is in your case.”

“No one, not your lawyers, not the government’s lawyers, no one can give you any assurance of what your sentence will be since I am the one who will decide your sentence,” the judge said, “and I’m not going to do that today.”

FILE - Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is escorted by police, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)

In this courtroom sketch, Luigi Mangione, center, stands between his attorneys, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, left, and Marc Agnifilo, right, as he is sworn in before pleading guilty to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in New York. (Jane Rosenberg via AP)

Defense attorneys for Luigi Mangione, Karen Friedman Agnifilo and Marc Agnifilo exit Manhattan federal court after Mangione pleaded guilty on to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026 in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Luigi Mangione appears for a pre-trial hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool)