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From Baggio to Terry: Brahim Diaz joins the Hall of Shame after dramatic AFCON final penalty fiasco

Brahim Diaz added his name the Football's Hall of Shame this weekend, as the Moroccan missed the chance to win the Africa Cup of Nations for his country.

A stunning end to the AFCON final saw Diaz take a spot-kick in the 24th minute of stoppage time, following a bizarre protest that saw opponents Senegal leave the pitch in disgust at the decision.

Diaz's attempted Panenka penalty was save by Edouard Mendy, in a moment that he - or football historians - will not forget.

The Real Madrid midfielder is not the first player to infamously miss from the spot on a huge occasion.

Roberto Baggio

Perhaps the cruelest penalty miss in football history. Roberto Baggio was arguably the world's finest footballer in the early nineties and had been in the inspiration behind Italy's run to the 1994 World Cup final.

Baggio's brilliance had led the Azzurri to the decider, but it's his memorable miss that became the defining moment of the final. Italy were already behind in their shootout against Brazil, following misses by Franco Baresi and Daniele Massaro, before Baggio blasted over to crown Brazil champions.

"I always dreamed of playing in a World Cup final since I was a little boy, but I never thought it could end like that," Baggio said on the miss.

"I still find it hard to accept what happened that day. However, it has helped me to stay humble because life is a continued challenge and you can't beat yourself up."

John Terry

John Terry must have thought his dreams had come true as he strode forward to take Chelsea's fifth kick in the 2008 Champions League final.

Petr Cech's save from Cristiano Ronaldo had handed Terry the chance to win the competition for Chelsea, and in the process become London's first European champions.

The Chelsea captain's dream turned rapidly into a nightmare, however, as the centre-back slipped on a rain-soaked pitch in Moscow. Chelsea lost the shootout in sudden death, as Nicolas Anelka saw his spot-kick saved, with Terry left to replay the moment.

Four years later, as Chelsea won the Champions League for the first time, Terry missed the final through suspension.

Asamoah Gyan

Ghana captured the imagination at the 2010 World Cup, in what was the first version of the tournament ever hosted on African soil.

The Black Stars faced Uruguay in the quarter-finals, bidding to become the first African team ever to reach the World Cup's final four. In a dramatic conclusion, a goal-line handball from Luis Suarez denied Ghana a winner, with the forward sent off and Ghana handed a penalty.

Gyan stepped up in what was the last kick of normal time, but blasted his effort against the crossbar. Neither side could find a winner in extra time, as Uruguay prevailed on penalties and Ghana crashed out.

Brahim Diaz

Brahim Diaz will question his decision regularly in the coming months and years.

It's been 50 years since Morocco last won the Africa Cup of Nations, and 2025 felt like the tournament to end that drought on home soil.

A chaotic conclusion ended with Morocco awarded a penalty against Senegal, a decision which promoted an astonishing protest as the Senegalese squad and staff stormed off the pitch. Eventually, order was restored, but did the 24-minute delay impact Diaz's decision-making?

The Real Madrid midfielder opted for a Panenka effort, read easily by Edouard Mendy who made the save. Diaz was substituted in the extra time period that followed, as tears filled his face, with Senegal capitalising on his error to take the trophy through Pape Gueye's goal.

Bonus entry: Diana Ross

Look, Diana Ross is hardly known for her footballing talent, but even she doesn't deserve an easy ride here.

This was a truly atrocious effort at the opening ceremony for the 1994 World Cup and rightly deserves condemnation. The goalposts collapsing as it limps past the post just adds to the amusing aesthetic.

She might be in her eighties now, but could we run this back at the 2026 World Cup when it returns to America this summer, please?

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