‘He was so sad’: inside Neil El Aynaoui’s night after the AFCON final | OneFootball

Bandaged and bloodied, Neil El Aynaoui fought through injury in the AFCON final, yet the Morocco midfielder ended the night heartbroken. According to Le Progres, he was inconsolable on the phone to his mother.

The final in Rabat was overshadowed by chaotic scenes in the stands. Morocco lost 1-0 in extra time after Brahim Diaz missed a Panenka from a potential title-winning penalty.

One enduring image showed El Aynaoui returning to the pitch like a gladiator, head heavily bandaged and shirt stained, unwilling to give up his place despite a cut eyebrow.

His family feared the worst as he lay on the turf while Morocco’s medics treated him. They later learned it was an eyebrow cut, and three stitches were applied on the pitch. His mother also recalled him playing on for Nancy in the National with a broken nose.

She said a fine tournament should not be defined by the incidents. El Aynaoui was widely viewed as Morocco’s driving force and among the best players. He rang her around half past two in the morning, devastated, barely mentioning the injury.

He will quickly turn his focus to AS Roma and Morocco, with the World Cup later in the season in his sights. He approaches 2026 with a new status, his Instagram following rising from about 20,000 before his move from Lens to Roma, to 230,000 pre-tournament, now beyond one million.

Source: Le Progres