The Towel Drama That Almost Stole AFCON's Final: Morocco vs Senegal
19 January 2026
Behind the Goal: The Towel Saga
Morocco and Senegal faced off in a dramatic Africa Cup of Nations final, delivering plenty of on-field action, but one behind‑the‑scenes moment nearly overshadowed everything.
The battle for possession was fierce, yet a towel belonging to Senegal's goalkeeper Edouard Mendy sparked a separate, almost cartoonish showdown behind the goal.
Screens and social media lit up with clips showing Moroccan players trying to remove Mendy's towel from the pitch while Senegalese teammates insisted it remain by their keeper.
Ashraf Hakimi was seen tossing the towel toward the sidelines, only for a Senegal defender to retrieve it again.
The scene escalated as ball boys chased the towel and nearly touched off a confrontation before players stepped in to calm things down.
Ismail Sibaari stood between a defender trying to place the towel by the goal and the ballboy, steering it back to Mendy under the watchful eye of a Moroccan teammate.
Why this happened remains unclear, but the moment threatened to generate further chaos near Mendy's goal.
The Final Moments and the Penalty Save
Mendy later saved Ibrahim Diaz's stoppage-time penalty, sending the match to extra time where Senegal ultimately claimed the victory.
The episode exploded online, becoming fodder for memes about towels, sportsmanship, and the night's surprising star.
Online Aftermath
The story continued to ripple across social media, with fans debating whether the towel helped or hindered either side, and joking about football’s latest unlikely prop.
Punchline 1: If towels could score, Morocco would have won.
Punchline 2: The towel had more drama than the kickoff.
