AFCON 2025: Morocco's Hakimi caught on camera stealing Mendy’s towel in final defeat to Senegal

The footage, which has gone viral on social media, shows the Paris Saint-Germain defender seemingly pocketing Mendy's towel in scenes reminiscent of the controversy that marred Morocco's semifinal victory over Nigeria.

In wh​at has become the most bizarre subplot of the AFCON 2025 tournament, Morocco captain and CAF Player of the Year Achraf Hakimi has been caught on camera in a "towel-snatching" incident during the Atlas Lions' heartbreaking 1–0 final defeat to Senegal.

The footage, which has since gone viral, shows the Paris Saint-Germain star seemingly removing Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towel from behind the goalposts and tossing it behind the advertising boards.

A pattern of towel tactics

The incident added a controversial layer to an already chaotic final in Rabat. It appears to be part of a coordinated effort by the hosts to disrupt the Senegalese defence, as other clips showed Moroccan ball boys and substitute Ismael Saibari also attempting to seize Mendy’s equipment.

The situation became so heated that Senegal’s second-choice goalkeeper, Yehvann Diouf, had to step in to guard the towel. In one shocking moment, Diouf was reportedly dragged across the turf by Moroccan ball boys as he refused to let go of the item during active play.

For Super Eagles fans, the sight of Hakimi and Morocco resorting to towel tactics provided a sense of irony. It follows the viral controversy from the semifinals, where Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali had his own towel repeatedly confiscated by Moroccan stadium staff.

The Nwabali Connection: During the semifinal, Nwabali was seen reacting angrily after his towel "mysteriously" vanished twice.

Following Morocco's final loss, Nwabali himself took to social media to mock the Atlas Lions, jokingly telling them to use the towels they carried to wipe their tears.

Fall-out from the Final

The towel heist is just one of many controversies surrounding the final. Senegal briefly walked off the pitch in protest of a late penalty awarded to Morocco, which was eventually saved by Mendy, before Pape Gueye secured the winner in extra time.

While Morocco was praised for its world-class facilities throughout the tournament, the conduct of their players and ball boys has sparked a continental debate about sportsmanship and the strange importance of a goalkeeper's towel.