Brahim Díaz’s Panenka saved by Édouard Mendy in Africa Cup of Nations final

Brahim Díaz missed a Panenka-style penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, chipping the spot-kick weakly into the hands of goalkeeper Édouard Mendy as Senegal went on to win in extra time.

Díaz had been given 15 minutes to consider his approach after a dramatic finish to the match and his attempt could, and should, have been the last kick of the tournament. The Real Madrid forward had scored five goals in six games before the final and later had to collect the golden boot award.

The Panenka requires a momentary stop when reaching the ball and, as the piece notes, if a goalkeeper holds their nerve they are rewarded with a simple save. Mendy had prior experience saving a Panenka, having denied Sergio Agüero in May 2021 while playing for Chelsea, and more than 60,000 fans were in Rabat for the final. Díaz said afterwards: "My soul hurts." Antonin Panenka, reflecting on his own iconic kick, said he wanted to "give the fans something new to see, to create something that would get them talking."

The article places Díaz’s miss alongside recent high-profile Panenka failures — including Danny Welbeck, Enzo Le Fée and Cristiano Ronaldo — and cites a Premier League stat that 90% of penalties sent down the middle have been successful this season. It adds that Díaz has ensured the conversation about the technique will continue and that he has said it will be hard for him to recover from the miss.

Key Topics

Sports, Brahim Díaz, Édouard Mendy, Panenka, Rabat, Real Madrid