Edouard Mendy towel chase in AFCON final, with Yehvann Diouf guarding against several theft attempts | OneFootball

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 after extra time on Sunday, yet a bizarre touchline tussle over Edouard Mendy’s towel drew headlines. L'Équipe reports it underlined Morocco’s desire to leave nothing to chance at home, chasing a first crown since 1976.

Late on, reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf stationed himself beside Mendy’s goal with one task, to protect the towel. Videos from the stands showed Achraf Hakimi hurling it over the advertising boards, and full-back Malick Diouf sprinting to retrieve it. Hakimi later collected the competition’s fair play award for his country.

Ismael Saibari then man-marked Diouf to stop him passing it back to Mendy. Ball boys joined in, as many as four trying to wrench it away and dragging the Senegalese keeper to the ground.

Diouf held firm and later marked the win on Instagram, noting both medal and towel. In the mixed zone he said they were just towels to dry gloves and face in the rain, and that he was as surprised as anyone as the group stuck together so Mendy got what he wanted.

Mendy, who saved Brahim Diaz’s penalty, did not need any notes on a towel for a shootout. Perhaps that possibility fuelled Morocco’s interest, after Nigeria keeper Stanley Nwabali had his towel taken by an official in the semi-final. The use of written guidance has grown, with England’s Hannah Hampton admitting she threw Cata Coll’s bottle into the stands before the Women’s Euro final shootout, the bottle sat in a towel and containing instructions.

Source: L'Équipe