AFCON 2025: Video emerges of Moroccan officials stealing Nwabali's towels in semifinal clash

A shocking video from Wednesday's AFCON 2025 semi-final at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium has sparked outrage, with Nigerian fans calling out Moroccan staff's towel-snatching antics against Super Eagles star goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.

The footage, which went viral on X, captures two brazen incidents during warm-ups and right before the decisive penalty shootout that Morocco won 4-2.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Nwabali relies on a personal towel as his mental reset button, a grip aid and focus anchor amid high-stakes chaos.

First, Nwabali drapes a black towel over his goalpost during pre-match rituals, a staple for goalkeepers battling sweat and nerves.

Moments later, a Moroccan stewards strolls over and swipes it away without a word, tucking it under his arm like contraband.

Undeterred, Nwabali swaps in a white towel, methodically positioning it for the shootout. But in a jaw-dropping twist, as Nigeria's players huddled and the crowd roared, the stadium steward darts in, yanks the white towel from the post, and vanishes into the shadows.

Fans erupted online, dubbing it the “lack of respect" and decrying it as host-nation dirty tricks. "They have no respect for the opposing team! Nor for the anthem! Nor for the supporters! Nor for football at all! No fair play!"

Social media lit up with raw Nigerian passion: "Why are they taking Nwabali’s towels? CAF_Online are stewards now allowed to step into the field of play? I didn’t know Moroccans are like this or what’s really happening?

"North Africans are never nice opponents. Dem go frustrate you die. Those teams in CAF club competitions face the worst. It’s why many of them struggle against them,” another added.

Psychologically, it exposed Morocco's desperation against Nigeria's rock-solid defence.

While Yassine Bounou shone in the shootout, the towel saga symbolises a semi-final where off-field mind games arguably tipped the scales.

Morocco eye glory against Senegal in Sunday's final, but Nigeria's Super Eagles, widely seen as the form team, turn fury into fuel for Saturday's third-place clash with Egypt.

Will the towel-gate fuel a CAF probe? For now, it stains a classic AFCON knockout.