What began as a minor sideline irritation snowballed into one of the strangest subplots of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 final, the now-infamous “towel problem” that left goalkeepers furious and players confronting ball boys.
From towels being snatched, thrown into the crowd, and dragged across the turf, to post-tournament mockery from Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali, the final between Senegal and Morocco exposed a pattern of unsporting behaviour that had been simmering throughout the tournament.
How It Started: Goalkeepers and the Importance of the Towel
In modern football, goalkeepers routinely keep spare towels behind their goalposts to wipe moisture off their gloves, a crucial routine, especially in wet conditions.
On Sunday night in Rabat, under light drizzle, Édouard Mendy depended heavily on that ritual. What followed, however, turned the towel into an unlikely flashpoint.
The Incident: Hakimi, Mendy and the First Confrontation
The first major incident occurred while Neil El Aynaoui was receiving treatment after suffering a cut from a clash of heads during a corner kick.
As play was halted, a Moroccan player (believed to be Achraf Hakimi), picked up Édouard Mendy’s towel and threw it over the pitchside advertising boards.
The action did not go unnoticed.
Senegal captain, Sadio Mané immediately retrieved the towel, an act that sparked a brief but heated exchange between players from both sides.
Moments later, after play resumed, matters escalated further.
A stadium steward deliberately removed the same towel from behind Mendy’s goal line, forcing the Senegal goalkeeper to look elsewhere for a replacement.
What Really Happened to Mendy’s Towel?
As the match wore on, footage showed Moroccan ball boys and even an official repeatedly interfering with towels meant for Mendy.
At one point, Yehvann Diouf, Senegal’s second-choice goalkeeper, took it upon himself to protect his teammate’s equipment.
Sunday night proved a busy one for Senegal’s goalkeeping department:
- Édouard Mendy saved Brahim Díaz’s stoppage-time penalty
- Yehvann Diouf physically shielded towels from ball boys
In one particularly chaotic moment, Diouf was dragged across the turf by ball boys as he attempted to return a towel to Mendy.
He was also forced into a confrontation with PSV Eindhoven winger Ismael Saibari, who stood between Diouf and Mendy as the Nice goalkeeper tried to hand the towel to his teammate, now playing for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli.
“There She Is”: Diouf’s Telling Instagram Post
After Senegal’s dramatic 1–0 extra-time victory, Yehvann Diouf summed up the absurdity of the night with a pointed social media post.
The goalkeeper shared a photo on his Instagram story showing:
- His AFCON winners’ medal
- A towel
He captioned it in French:
“La voilà.”
(“There she is.”)
The post was widely interpreted as a sarcastic reference to the lengths Senegal went to just to keep a towel behind their goal.
Yehvann Diouf was not alone.
At another stage of the final, El Hadji Malick Diouf had to sprint toward the sideline to beat ball boys to another towel that had been thrown in their direction by Achraf Hakimi, ensuring it did not disappear into the stands.
A Pattern Repeats: Nigeria’s Nwabali Earlier AFCON Experience
The scenes in Rabat were eerily familiar.
Earlier in the tournament, Nigeria’s Super Eagles, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali endured similar treatment during the AFCON semi-final against Morocco.
On multiple occasions, Nwabali had to:
- Return to the bench to fetch replacement towels
- Chase sideline towel snatchers
- React angrily to repeated interference
One clip showed the goalkeeper responding with a raised middle finger, a moment that baffled viewers but now appears rooted in repeated provocation.
Nwabali Mocks Morocco After Final Defeat
Following Morocco’s 1–0 loss to Senegal, Nwabali wasted no time revisiting the controversy.
Taking to his social media pages, the Nigerian goalkeeper mocked Moroccan players and officials, referencing the towels taken from him earlier in the tournament.
He wrote in pidgin English:
“Make Una use all my towel Una carry wipe Una tears.”
The post has gone viral across Nigerian and African football circles.
Drama on the Pitch: From Towels to Walk-Offs
The towel saga unfolded alongside a night of extreme tension.
Earlier in stoppage time, Ismaïla Sarr thought he had scored the winner after converting the rebound from Abdoulaye Seck’s header off the post.
However, Seck was ruled to have fouled Achraf Hakimi, a decision that became one of the most debated calls of the night.
Minutes later, El Hadji Malick Diouf fouled Brahim Díaz andMorocco were awarded a controversial penalty.
Following the decision, Senegal briefly walked off the pitch in protest and later, Édouard Mendy saved Díaz’s panenka attempt.
In extra time, Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye fired home the decisive goal to hand Senegal a 1–0 victory.
“They Took the Towels, Senegal Took the Trophy”
Despite the chaos, Senegal held firm and was crowned champions, again. The victory secured:
- Senegal’s second AFCON title in three editions
- Their second continental crown after defeating Egypt on penalties in the 2021 final in Cameroon
Meanwhile, Nigeria claimed AFCON bronze earlier in the day, defeating Egypt on penalties, with Stanley Nwabali saving spot-kicks from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush.
