Moroccan stewards, ball boys and even African Footballer of the Year Achraf Hakimi were caught on camera repeatedly trying to snatch the towels of Stanley Nwabali and Edouard Mendy during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations semifinal and final, leaving neutral fans bewildered.
Video highlights from the Africa Cup of Nations final showed Moroccan players, including Hakimi, and stadium staff repeatedly snatching towels meant to keep Mendy's gloves dry in the light rain and tossing them into the stands.
A similar scenario had unfolded during the Afcon semifinal against Nigeria, where Nwabali faced the same treatment.
On multiple occasions, the Super Eagles goalkeeper had to return to his bench to collect fresh towels after the ones he had were taken from him.
Former West Ham United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop explained why the towels are far from ordinary, revealing how the right amount of moisture can make or break a goalkeeper's performance, and why tampering with them can feel like a tactical advantage.
"Your towel is part of your equipment, because for your gloves to function properly, it has to have a certain amount of moisture," Hislop said on ESPN FC.
"So, whether it’s dry conditions and you put a lot of water on it and wring it until it’s just right, or as in the Afcon final t’s raining and you have to keep them dry so they function well.”
Hislop drew a comparison that made the situation immediately understandable to anyone familiar with football.
"I liken it to a player's boots. You wouldn’t mess with that depending on the weather, and for a goalkeeper, you're messing with how their gloves function. I keep giggling because it’s so farcical.
“You had officials jumping, ball boys running onto players, and substitutes coming off the bench chasing technically subs. It was just the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen."
In their Afcon matches against Morocco, both Nwabali and Mendy kept clean sheets through regulation and extra time.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
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