There were fights over towels during the 2025 AFCON
Olivier Safari, the President of the Referees Committee at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revealed that his outfit is considering banning the use of towels in football matches across the continent.
This comes after controversies involving goalkeepers’ towels during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted in Morocco, which marred the tournament’s reputation.
One of the unpleasant spectacles in the final occurred when ball boys were spotted fighting with Senegalese player over goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towel for no apparent reason.
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The Atlas Lions skipper Achraf Hakimi and midfielder Ismael Saibari were also involved in the brawl.
In addition, Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali’s towel was also taken by ball boys during the semi-final against Morocco, fueling further discontent.
Addressing the issue, Olivier Safari described the phenomenon as worrisome, noting that CAF is reviewing the incidents to come up with measures to prevent future occurrences.
“This is a problem the organisers must take into account in future competitions. A towel is not equipment for a player or a goalkeeper. When a goalkeeper carries a towel, it must be done in a sporting and fair-play manner.”
“Once it is used to shout instructions or influence the game, I believe the towel should be removed from the playing area,” Olivier Safari told Canal+ Afrique.
Meanwhile, CAF fined the Moroccan Football Federation $200,000 for the inappropriate behaviour of the ball boys.
SB/JE
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