Senegalese goalkeeper Yvan Diouf has shed light on the bizarre scenes that unfolded during the Africa Cup of Nations final, where he was seen wrestling with ball boys and opposing players in a bid to protect teammate Edouard Mendy’s towel.
The incident occurred during Senegal’s tense 1-0 victory over hosts Morocco, a result that secured the Lions of Teranga their second AFCON title.
Speaking to Le Parisien, Diouf revealed that the issue had been noticed earlier in the tournament.
“We noticed in the previous match that they were tampering with and stealing the Nigerian goalkeeper’s towels. Why? We don’t know,” he explained.
According to Diouf, the same tactics were used against Senegal, beginning in regular time. “They did it to us during regular time, through Achraf Hakimi, and they eventually succeeded in taking the towel,” he said.
The situation escalated in extra time as heavy rain began to fall. Diouf recalled that another Senegal goalkeeper attempted to resolve the issue, only for the towels to be taken again.
“Then during extra time, when the rain started to pour down, Moury Diao (the third goalkeeper) went to put the towels near Mendy, but they took the towels again,” he added. Amid the chaos, Diouf said he was confronted by one of the ball boys. “One of the ball boys told me: You must play fairly.”
Determined to support his teammate, Diouf approached Mendy with a fresh towel, but the interference continued.
“When I went, they did exactly the same thing,” he explained. “At first, a Moroccan player (Ismail Sibari) ran after me to get the towel, which surprised me. When I went back to put the towel down, the ball boys, along with someone whose responsibility I don’t know, also got involved.”
The substitute goalkeeper stressed that his actions were driven purely by the team’s needs on the night. “I did all this to put Mendy in the best possible conditions, because we needed a great goalkeeper to win this final match,” Diouf said.
Images of the incident quickly circulated worldwide, showing Diouf being pushed before ending up on the pitch while shielding the towel. Reflecting on the moment, he admitted the situation left him stunned.
“I was stunned. I almost went onto the pitch of my own volition, thinking the referee would stop play or pay attention to the situation. But no, I found myself on the ground inside the penalty area, and I realized that I had become an obstacle to Edward, rather than an aid to him, so I decided to get up and move away. It was surreal,” he said.
After Senegal’s extra-time triumph, Diouf said he could only laugh at the strange episode. He concluded by recalling an exchange that summed up the confusion of the moment.
“Imagine one of the ball boys told me: ‘You have to play fairly,’ and I replied: ‘Play fairly in what? You are the ones who steal the towels, and I am the one who is said to be playing unfairly, while I only came to return the towels? I am surprised and I do not understand what is happening.’”
