Senegal has an unlikely new hero, and he did not even play in the chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final won by his country. In a bizarre turn of events, Senegal's second-choice goalkeeper Yéhvann Diouf spent long spells of Sunday's match protecting the towels used by starting keeper Edouard Mendy from repeated attempts by ball boys to snatch them. In other footage filmed from the stands, Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi can be seen throwing one of Mendy's towels over advertising boards. At another moment Morocco midfielder Ismaël Saibari tried to prevent Diouf from handing a towel to Mendy. Praising the tireless work of the second-choice goalkeeper, one social media user wrote on X: “Yehvann Diouf's work, guys.

Source: The Telegraph January 20, 2026 05:08 UTC