NOS Football•
Ismael Saibari has apologized for his behavior during the African Cup of Nations final. The PSV player caused a stir with an attempt to prevent Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy from getting a clean towel.
“What happened in the finale was purely emotional but wrong,” Saibari wrote on Instagram. “I am aware of the mistake I made, so I apologize.”
After being substituted in the 90th minute of the final, Saibari stood next to Senegal’s goal to try to prevent reserve keeper Yehvann Diouf from handing Senegal’s first keeper Mendy a new towel.
See images of the ‘towel riot’ below:
That attempt failed. Saibari stood in front of him, but with a feint Diouf passed him by. In addition to Saibari, more Moroccans had anticipated the goalkeeper’s towel.
For example, captain Achraf Hakimi once threw the towel over the boarding, ball boys started hunting for the towel and there was even a struggle between ball boys and Diouf.
Reserve keeper Diouf apparently had the task of guarding the towel at all costs. The big question is: why such a fight over a simple towel?
Firstly, it was raining in Rabat and the goalkeeper was able to use the towel to dry his gloves. Did Morocco want to prevent the goalkeeper from drying his hands? There was also speculation on social media that Morocco thought there was more going on, namely ‘voodoo’ hidden in a towel.
In the end, Mendy and Diouf had the last laugh. Senegal took the African title after extra time and afterwards Diouf posed proudly with his gold medal and his hard-won towel. “There they are, the medal and the towel,” he wrote.
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