An unusual episode marked the final of the African Cup of Nations, involving the Senegal team and the host team, Morocco, and all because of… a simple towel.
During the game, several ball catchers and even Moroccan players tried to stop Édouard Mendy from drying his gloves, repeatedly removing the towel from him next to the goal. The situation was not unprecedented, as similar episodes had occurred in previous matches of the tournament with other goalkeepers.
This time, however, Senegal had an unexpected ally. Yehvann Diouf, substitute goalkeeper, positioned himself behind the goal and decided to protect his teammate’s towel, refusing to hand it over despite several attempts to take it away. The insistence was such that, at one point, Diouf ended up on the ground, grabbed by ball catchers who were trying to snatch the towel from his hands.
The moment, ridiculous and unusual in an international final, ended up quickly circulating on social media and became one of the most talked about episodes of the match.
