Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi has expressed regret for the controversial towel incidents involving goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Édouard Mendy during the recent 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco. The incidents, which occurred during the semifinal and final matches, sparked widespread criticism after video evidence showed Moroccan stewards, ball boys, and players, including Hakimi himself, repeatedly attempting to take towels away from the opposing goalkeepers. The actions were widely interpreted as gamesmanship aimed at disrupting the keepers’ grip in wet playing conditions.
During the final match, cameras captured Moroccan players and stadium staff removing the towel intended for Senegal’s goalkeeper, Édouard Mendy, as light rain fell. This followed a similar pattern of behaviour in the semifinal clash against Nigeria, where Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was subjected to the same treatment by the Moroccan team. The scenes left many football observers bewildered and critical of the unsportsmanlike conduct displayed on the pitch.
Speaking after his club Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-0 victory over Liverpool in the Champions League, Achraf Hakimi addressed the controversy for the first time on the Movistar channel. The defender admitted that he was not proud of the image his team projected. Hakimi stated, “These are difficult times, tense on the field. I’m not proud of the image we projected with the towels.” He did, however, pivot to defending his national team’s overall conduct, adding, “Despite that, the team’s performance in the competition was good. We respected our opponent, the tournament.”
In the semifinal where the towel incident first occurred, Morocco defeated Nigeria’s Super Eagles 4-2 in a penalty shootout after regular time ended in a draw. Nigerian players Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi were the unfortunate players who missed their spot-kicks, sending the Atlas Lions through to the final. While Morocco ultimately triumphed in that match, the victory has since been somewhat overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the unsporting tactics.
Hakimi’s public admission of regret marks a significant acknowledgment of the incident from a key figure within the Moroccan camp. This apology is likely to be closely followed by football authorities and fans as they assess the broader implications for sportsmanship in high-stakes African football. The fallout from these events may well influence how such tactics are policed in future AFCON tournaments to ensure fair play remains paramount.
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