Morocco midfielder, Brahim Diaz, has spoken out for the first time following his missed late penalty in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final, a miss that ultimately cost his team against Senegal.
Diaz’s penalty, awarded after a VAR review in the dying moments of a scoreless game, was sent over by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, allowing Senegal to secure victory in extra time.
On Monday, the 24-year-old took to X to issue an emotional statement, taking full responsibility for the miss and apologising to Moroccan supporters.
“My soul hurts. I dreamed of this title thanks to all the love you all gave me, every message, every show of support that made me feel I wasn’t alone. I fought with everything I had, with my heart above all else.,” Diaz wrote.
“Yesterday I failed and I take full responsibility. I apologise from the bottom of my heart.”
He admitted the pain of the moment would take time to overcome but pledged to continue striving for the fans who stood by him.
“It will be hard for me to recover, because this wound doesn’t heal easily… but I will try. Not for myself, but for everyone who believed in me and for everyone who suffered with me,” he added.
“I will keep going forward until one day I can give you all this love back and become a source of pride for my Moroccan people.”
