Wild scene in the Africa Cup of Nations final: Morocco players tried to steal Senegal goalkeeper's towel
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
The Africa Cup of Nations final between Senegal and Morocco (1-0) was memorable not just for its dramatic football and Senegal's winning goal, but for one truly bizarre episode.
Details: At the center of attention was the towel belonging to Senegal's goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy. Throughout the match, the towel repeatedly disappeared from behind the goal—at one point, Achraf Hakimi threw it away, but Senegal defender Malick Diouf quickly noticed and returned it to its rightful place.
Senegal decided to take matters into their own hands. Backup goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf took on a new role as the "towel guardian." He stationed himself behind Mendy's goal, ready to help the first-choice keeper dry his face and gloves in the rainy conditions.
But the antics didn’t end there. Morocco and PSV midfielder Ismael Saibari tried to block Diouf, standing in front of him like a personal bodyguard. In one episode, the Senegalese backup keeper pulled off a crafty move, slipping past Saibari and getting the towel to Mendy. Mendy’s reaction said it all—he simply shook his head at the Moroccan.
The situation turned even more farcical when ball boys and security staff got involved. According to reports and video footage, they physically blocked Yehvann Diouf, forcing him away from the goal and eventually making him run off, chased by ball boys and security guards.
In the end, Morocco’s tricks failed, and Senegal saw out the match to lift the trophy.
Reminder: To celebrate their Africa Cup of Nations triumph, Everton lit up their stadium in the colors of the Senegalese national team.
