Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has become the center of a wave of online sarcasm after his team’s 1-0 win over Egypt in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Morocco.
Many Egyptian fans mocked how rarely he was involved during the match, as Egypt spent most of the game defending and posed almost no real threat to Senegal’s goal.
A widely shared image showed Mendy taking advantage of his teammates’ sustained pressure high up the pitch to enjoy a brief pause. With play far from his penalty area, he calmly walked to the side, washed his face, then dried it with a towel before returning to his position, a routine that fans saw as a symbol of how comfortable and untroubled he felt in the semi-final.
The moment quickly went viral on social media, with users joking that Mendy was effectively a spectator rather than an active participant against Egypt.
Senegal ultimately secured their place in the final thanks to a 78th-minute goal from former Liverpool and current Al Nassr star Sadio Mané, setting up a showdown with hosts Morocco for the continental title.
