Among all the episodes that marked the explosive CAN final between Morocco and Senegal, there was one that stood out for its… unusual content: that of Édouard Mendy’s towel.
Throughout the match, several Moroccan players — and even elements outside the game — tried to prevent the team’s goalkeeper from lions of Teranga to hang the utensil on the goal net, something that even led to the intervention of Yehvann Diouf, Mendy’s substitute, assigned to protect the towel.
One of the protagonists of the ridiculous episode was Ismael Saibari, PSV midfielder, who, after the dust settled, ended up going to the hotel where the Senegalese delegation was staying to apologize to the opposing goalkeeper. A video was even published on social media of the two players shaking hands, after the situation had been resolved.
A final that will last in time, not so much because of the football played, but because of all the controversy it generated and the dramatic way in which Senegal won the trophy, after the players even left the pitch in protest with a penalty awarded in favor of Morocco… which Brahim Díaz missed!
