Forget the tactics and the goals; the real battle of the AFCON 2025 final was fought over a dirty white towel. In scenes that bordered on the absurd, Senegal’s reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf became an unlikely national hero—not for making a save, but for protecting his team’s "magic" towel from Moroccan ball boys.

Throughout the torrential rain in Rabat, Senegal’s number one, Édouard Mendy, relied on the towel to keep his gloves dry. But the Moroccan bench and ball boys seemed convinced the cloth held something more sinister: "Juju" or black magic.

The Sideline Skirmish

Video footage gone viral shows a comical cat-and-mouse game. Every time Mendy turned his back, a ball boy would sprint to steal the towel. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-13)Enter Yehvann Diouf. The reserve keeper spent 120 minutes acting as a bouncer for the linen, physically tackling ball boys and even facing off against Moroccan star Achraf Hakimi, who was seen angrily tossing the towel over an advertising board.

"There it is – the medal and the towel," Diouf posted on Instagram, posing with his gold medal and the tattered cloth. It was the ultimate troll move.

• Mind Games: While funny, the incident highlights the intense psychological warfare in African football. Morocco’s obsession with the towel likely distracted them from the game itself.
• The Unsung Hero: Diouf didn’t play a minute, but his vigilance ensured Mendy had dry gloves to save the crucial penalty. In a game of margins, the "Towel Defender" earned his keep.

Superstition or Strategy?

Whether it was superstition or simple hygiene, Senegal won the mental battle. As the Lions fly home, that towel belongs in a museum—a symbol of a team that refused to be intimidated, on or off the pitch.