Senegal goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf has spoken out against what he described as inappropriate behaviour from Moroccan officials during the AFCON 2025 final, following attempts to remove the towel he was using to dry his gloves.
The incident occurred during Senegal’s 1–0 extra-time victory over host nation Morocco on Sunday, 18 January 2026, in Rabat. Softfootball gathered that Moroccan officials were seen approaching Diouf during the match and attempting to drag away the towel he used to clean his gloves and face.
A similar situation was previously reported during Nigeria’s semi-final defeat to Morocco, where Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali also had his towels removed by stadium staff.
Reacting to the incident, Diouf downplayed the importance of the towel itself but criticised the actions of the officials involved. He said:
For me, they were just towels—nothing more—used to dry my gloves or my face. Perhaps the matter took on more of a ‘folklore’ character than it deserved, but to me, there was nothing special about it.
I was just as surprised as you when I saw them trying to take them. We’ve seen this before with Nigeria: when the goalkeeper puts down his towels, stadium staff come to take them, and I don’t know why they do that. Honestly, it was not appropriate behavior on their part.
As for me, I tried to handle the situation calmly and under the best possible conditions, because we needed [Edouard] Mendy and the players to remain 100% focused on the pitch. That is why I acted the way I did.
The towel incident added to an already highly charged final, which was marked by widespread protests from Senegal following a controversial late penalty awarded to Morocco in added time. Senegalese players briefly refused to continue the match before eventually returning to the pitch.
Although the AFCON 2025 tournament officially concluded on Sunday, CAF has since opened an investigation into the chaos surrounding the final, including the refereeing decisions and off-field conduct during the match.
Further action or sanctions are expected once CAF concludes its review of the incidents that overshadowed the climax of Africa’s biggest football competition.
