What began as a seemingly harmless sideline nuisance spiralled into one of the strangest and most talked-about subplots of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 final — the infamous “towel incidents” that left goalkeepers angry, ball boys involved in scuffles, and referees struggling to maintain control.

From towels being snatched, tossed 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 quietly simmered throughout the tournament.

How It Started: Why Goalkeepers Guard Their Towels

In modern football, goalkeepers routinely keep spare towels behind their goalposts to wipe moisture from their gloves — a crucial routine, especially in wet conditions. On Sunday night in Rabat, under a light drizzle, Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy relied heavily on that ritual. What followed, however, turned a simple towel into an unlikely flashpoint.

Hakimi, Mendy and the First Flashpoint

The first major incident occurred during a stoppage in play when Neil El Aynaoui was being treated for a head injury following a corner kick.

As the game paused, a Moroccan player — widely believed to be Achraf Hakimi — picked up Mendy’s towel and hurled it over the pitchside advertising boards. The act did not go unnoticed. Senegal captain Sadio Mané quickly retrieved the towel, sparking a brief but heated exchange between players from both sides.

Moments after play resumed, tensions escalated further when a stadium steward deliberately removed the same towel from behind Mendy’s goal, forcing the goalkeeper to search for a replacement.

What Really Happened to Mendy’s Towels

As the match wore on, broadcast footage showed Moroccan ball boys — and even an official — repeatedly interfering with towels meant for Mendy. At one point, Senegal’s second-choice goalkeeper, Yehvann Diouf, took it upon himself to protect his teammate’s equipment.

It turned into an extraordinary night for Senegal’s goalkeeping unit:

Édouard Mendy saved Brahim Díaz’s stoppage-time penalty

Yehvann Diouf physically shielded towels from ball boys

In one chaotic moment, Diouf was dragged across the turf as he tried to return a towel to Mendy

Diouf was also forced into a confrontation with PSV Eindhoven winger Ismael Saibari, who stood between him and Mendy as the Nice goalkeeper attempted to hand the towel to his teammate, now playing for Al-Ahli.

“There She Is”: Diouf’s Viral Instagram Post

After Senegal’s dramatic 1–0 extra-time victory, Yehvann Diouf captured the absurdity of the night with a pointed social media post.

He shared an image of:

His AFCON winners’ medal

A towel

The caption read simply:

“La voilà.” (“There she is.”)

The post was widely interpreted as sarcastic commentary on how much effort Senegal had to expend just to keep a towel behind their goal.

At another point in the final, El Hadji Malick Diouf sprinted toward the sideline to beat ball boys to a towel thrown in their direction by Achraf Hakimi, preventing it from disappearing into the stands.

Déjà Vu: Nwabali’s Earlier AFCON Experience

The scenes in Rabat felt eerily familiar. Earlier in the tournament, Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali endured similar treatment during the AFCON semi-final against Morocco.

On several occasions, the Super Eagles goalkeeper was forced to:

Return to the bench for replacement towels

Chase sideline towel snatchers

React angrily to repeated interference

One viral clip showed Nwabali raising his middle finger — a moment that puzzled viewers at the time but now appears rooted in repeated provocation.

Nwabali Mocks Morocco After Final Defeat

After Morocco’s loss to Senegal, Nwabali wasted no time revisiting the controversy. Taking to social media, he mocked Moroccan players and officials over the towel incidents.

He wrote in pidgin English:

“Make una use all my towel una carry wipe una tears.”

The post quickly went viral across Nigerian and African football circles.

A Night of Chaos Beyond the Towels

The towel saga unfolded amid an already explosive final. Earlier in stoppage time, Ismaïla Sarr thought he had scored the winner after converting a rebound from Abdoulaye Seck’s header off the post, only for the goal to be disallowed for a foul on Achraf Hakimi.

Minutes later, El Hadji Malick Diouf fouled Brahim Díaz in the box, leading to a controversial penalty award. Senegal briefly walked off the pitch in protest before returning — after which Mendy saved Díaz’s attempted Panenka.

In extra time, Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye struck the decisive goal, sealing a 1–0 victory for Senegal.

“They Took the Towels, Senegal Took the Trophy”

Despite the chaos, Senegal remained composed and emerged champions once again, securing their second AFCON title in three tournaments and their second continental crown after their 2021 triumph against Egypt.

Earlier in the day, Nigeria claimed the bronze medal after defeating Egypt on penalties, with Stanley Nwabali saving spot-kicks from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush — a fitting subplot in a tournament where goalkeepers, and their towels, stole unexpected headlines.