‘Look up, Malick...’ Diouf recounts how Mendy reassured him before Brahim Diaz took the penalty in the 2025 AFCON final

Two weeks after Senegal's victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, El Hadj Malick Diouf reveals the exchange between Edouard Mendy and himself after the controversial penalty awarded to Morocco.

Appearing on Canal+ Sport Afrique, the Senegalese defender who committed the foul that led to the penalty recounted how his goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, reassured him before Brahim Diaz took the kick. ‘Look up, Malick, I'm going to save the penalty,’ Edouard Mendy said, according to Malick Diouf, who added: ‘Edouard, I thanked him too. I thanked him and prayed for him, because for me, he's the best goalkeeper in the history of African football.’

The Senegalese goalkeeper kept his promise by coolly saving the Moroccan striker's Panenka penalty. This feat gave the Lions of Teranga a psychological advantage, says El Malick Diouf.

‘When he saved the penalty, we didn't even try to celebrate. For us, it was time to win. We knew we were going to win the match. They were in doubt, but for us it was time to score,’ explains El Malick Diouf.