'What is he doing?': Premature celebrations, riots in the stands in chaotic end to AFCON final

Senegal has won the Africa Cup of Nations in dramatic fashion, with fighting in the stands after a controversial penalty call and premature fan zone celebrations headlining the latter stages of a chaotic match.

Pape Gueye scored in extra time for the Teranga Lions to beat host Morocco 1-0 in a chaotic final on Monday morning (AEDT) which at one point saw Senegal's players leave the field to protest a penalty decision.

After a 14-minute delay, goalkeeper Édouard Mendy saved Brahim Díaz’s Panenka penalty in the last kick of regulation time.

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"What is Brahim Diaz doing? What is he doing?" former Nigeria striker Efan Ekoku said on the live coverage.

"I cannot believe he has done that. Too clever for his own good ... absolutely ridiculous. He may never ever get another chance to score a winning goal in an AFCON final."

As the shot was saved by the Senegal keeper, confetti was shot out of a canon at a Moroccan fan event, before realisation set in that the shot was saved.

Gueye then scored the winning goal in the first half of extra time, striking in the fourth minute and sweeping the ball into the top right corner with his left boot.

There was chaos before extra time with Senegal’s players walking off the field after Morocco was awarded a controversial stoppage-time penalty just after Senegal had what seemed a good goal ruled out at the other end.

"I can understand their frustration but walking off the pitch is not what I want to see," former Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel admitted, saying it was "shameful" scenes.

The decision led to fights between some of the Moroccan substitutes and their opposing players, then Senegalese fans jumped down among the photographers and tried storming the field from behind one of the goals.

One threw a chair onto the field as they were held back by a long line of police.

It was unclear if the game could continue but as riot police arrived, extra time began with a line of security in front of the Senegal fans.

Reporting from the stadium, BBC's Ian Williams said Senegal's Sadio Mane was a "peacemaker" amid the chaos.

"He was the one Senegal player who clearly did not want to walk down the tunnel and was telling his team-mates to come back out," Williams reported.

"He also walked over to the Senegal fans after the full-time whistle, begging them to calm down. There is now a line of armoured police in front of those fans to my left.

"It's been quite violent down there on several occasions."

This is Senegal's second Africa Cup of Nations win after the Teranga Lions won the 2021 edition after a penalty shootout against Egypt.