AFCON ‘shame’ as Morocco ball boys and gamers ‘steal Senegal keeper’s towel’
Morocco players and ball boys could be seen repeatedly taking Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towels in wild scenes as rain lashed down at the AFCON final
Morocco ball boys try to take Edouard Mendy’s towel(Image: )
Shocking videos show Morocco players and ball boys trying to steal Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towels during the controversial AFCON final.
Senegal were crowned champions of Africa in Rabat on Sunday night following wild scenes. After Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr had a goal harshly disallowed in stoppage time, referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded hosts Morocco a penalty after El Hadji Malick Diouf was judged to have brought down Brahim Diaz – prompting Senegal’s players to refuse to continue playing and leave the pitch under the instruction of manager Pape Thiaw.
After Liverpool legend Sadio Mane encouraged his team-mates to return to the fray, Mendy saved Diaz’s embarrassing Panenka penalty and the final went to extra time, before Senegal’s Pape Gueye struck the winner to secure a dramatic 1-0 victory for the Lions of Teranga. Now, staggering footage of some of Morocco’s underhand tactics have emerged online.
With rain lashing down in the Moroccan capital, Atlas Lions winger Ismael Saibari was filmed near the Senegal goal trying to remove Mendy’s towel, which he needed to dry his gloves. Senegal’s reserve stopper Yehvan Diouf was deployed to keep hold of the towel – usually left next to goalposts for a keeper to use whenever necessary.
Extraordinary clips show Saibari trying to wrestle the towel away from Diouf, before four ball boys later grab hold of him in a bid to take it and he is seen trying to fight them off.
At one stage, Diouf is seen lying on the pitch next to the goalmouth as ball boys enter the field of play and drag him off, with Mendy seemingly about to face a shot on goal. Diouf then runs away from the chasing ball boys and an official who also intervenes, before returning the towel to his team-mate.
In another clip, Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi can be seen grabbing a different towel used by Mendy and throwing it over advertising boards, during a commotion between players and the referee.
Despite the Paris Saint-Germain’s right-back’s sneaky efforts, Senegal’s El Hadji Malick Diouf is seen bounding over the board to retrieve the towel just moments later.
One outraged fan posted on X: “Just look at Hakimi, our CAF Best player. Shame on him, I told you guys, the ball boys are instructed to take the goalkeeper’s towels. It is planned. I knew these little boys cannot be that bold to be doing this in an international tournament.”
Another fan said: “But for real for real, these guys are straight-up lunatics, this is absolute madness! Disgraceful”. A third added: “The goalkeepers use it to clean their gloves when it’s too wet, to avoid the ball slipping away. Goalkeepers use it alot, that’s why they’re stealing it, so the ball can slip off the keeper’s hands. Disgraceful people.”
Another fan posted: “The guy they’re dragging plays for Nice in France, if I’m not mistaken. A Top tier goalkeeper, Yehvan Diouf. Ball boys are dragging a professional player on the floor. Ball boys?
“What power do they have? Look at Saibari too, a Champions League player, this is beyond disgraceful brethren.”
A fifth fan commented: “Big Shout out to Senegal’s reserve goal keeper Yehvan Diouf who was active all through out the game handing Edouard Mendy his towel and fighting off ball boys and Moroccan players. A Real Soldier.”
And another fan posted: “This is pure MADNESS, An unbelievable scene as the Moroccan player Ismael Saibari tries to steal the Senegalese goalkeeper Mendy’s towel, fortunately, there was a Senegalese player there to keep hold of it!
“They tried everything and they failed but Senegal came prepared!!!”
