Returning to PSV after Morocco’s defeat in the CAN 2025 final against Senegal, Ismael Saibari apologized again after the incident with Edouard Mendy’s towels. The Moroccan community did not think that the subject would take on such magnitude.
The napkin affair is definitely causing a lot of ink to flow. Almost a week after a CAN 2025 final ended in chaos, all the players returned to their clubs for the end of the season. This is particularly the case of Ismael Saibari, who has resumed training with PSV. Still sad not to have brought back the trophy with the Atlas Lions, Saibari also returned to one of the strong images of this completely crazy final: that of having stolen one of Edouard Mendy’s towels to throw it into the stands, like several teammates and ball boys.
If he went to the Senegalese hotel to apologize, the midfielder admitted that the situation had gotten out of hand because of “emotion”. “But it was a mistake. I am aware of my mistake. That’s why I apologized,” he repeated in comments reported by ESPN. “When I got home, I saw how bad it had gone. That’s why I immediately sent a message to someone in Senegal to apologize. I also apologized to Mendy at the airport. The problem is resolved and closed. We need to move on,” he added.
A bodyguard named Diouf
On Sunday, another character played a central role in this towel affair: Yehvann Diouf. Replacement goalkeeper for the Lions of Teranga during this CAN, the Niçois found himself harassed and even pulled to the ground by ball boys while he was protecting the towels of the starting goalkeeper, systematically stolen during the meeting.
“Just imagine that a ball boy told me: ‘be fair'”, he confided on Thursday on the sidelines of OGCN’s victory against Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League. “I answered him: ‘Fair play of what? You’re the one taking the towels and it’s me who’s not being fair when I just put the towels back?’ I’m surprised, I don’t understand. But I tried to ensure that Edouard has his towel when he wants to dry off and that he is in the best conditions to be as effective as possible so that we can win the trophy.”
