Morocco: Brahim Díaz's missed panenka continues to haunt Romain Saïss | OneFootball

المغرب: ركلة بانينكا الضائعة من إبراهيم دياز لا تزال تطارد رومان سايس

Romain Saïss has revisited one of the most painful moments from the last Africa Cup of Nations final. In an interview with Colinterview, Saïss candidly discusses Brahim Díaz’s missed penalty—a daring panenka attempt at a decisive moment.

The memory remains vivid for Romain Saïss. In the Africa Cup of Nations final, Morocco had the chance to write one of the most glorious chapters in its recent football history. Just seconds from the end, a penalty presented the Atlas Lions with a golden opportunity to claim a trophy that had eluded them for decades. But instead of a powerful, secure strike, Brahim Díaz opted for a panenka... and it failed.

"When he went for the panenka, I thought: you cannot do that now," the Moroccan defender admitted. For Saïss, the context made the choice especially risky: a final on home soil, over fifty years of waiting for a continental title, and more than twenty years without reaching this stage of the competition.

Confusion and frustration for the captain

In his account, the Moroccan captain describes a moment of disbelief. He expected his teammate to strike the ball hard, avoiding unnecessary risk. “I thought he was going to smash it straight down the middle—thank you, goodbye, we lift the trophy and go celebrate,” he explained. The failed attempt left a hollow feeling among several players in the squad. “Since that moment, and even now, I feel empty,” he admitted.

Despite the frustration, Romain Saïss refuses to believe there was any ill intent from his teammate. For him, at this level, such an idea makes no sense. The defender prefers to see this episode as a sporting lesson for Brahim Díaz. “He could have been the hero, but he wanted to be the superhero,” he summed up, adding that he hopes this experience will serve both the player and the Moroccan team in future challenges.

A painful episode that continues to fuel debate about handling decisive moments in major African competitions.