Stanley Nwabali towel saga: Coach Hervé Renard breaks silence on AFCON 2025 drama

Stanley Nwabali and Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy had their towels take the spotlight at the AFCON 2025 tournament…

Former Morocco head coach Hervé Renard has offered his perspective on one of the most unusual subplots from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, Soccernet.ng reports.

The tug‑of‑war over goalkeeper towels took the spotlight as Senegal defeated hosts Morocco 1‑0 after extra time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat to lift their second continental crown.

Speaking on the Colinterview podcast, Renard said the controversy in which opponents repeatedly tried to take Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy’s towels during the rain-soaked match was deeper than a mere sideline distraction.

How Nwabali’s Towel Saga Unfolded at AFCON 2025

During Nigeria’s semi-final against Morocco, Nwabali was repeatedly distracted as his towels were seized or tossed by stewards and ball boys, forcing him to return to the bench multiple times to replace them.

The incident went viral on social media, with Nwabali later taunting Moroccan players and fans online:

“Make Una use all my towel Una carry wipe Una tears” Nwabali wrote on his X, which translates to “You all use all my towels to wipe your tears.” in English.

Make Una use all my towel Una carry wipe Una tears pic.twitter.com/vFKTxdMyWF

— Nwabali Stanley bobo (M.O.N) (@NwabaliBobo) January 19, 2026

What Hervé Renard said

Now, former Morocco coach Hervé Renard has addressed the towel controversy and has shed light on what he described as a culturally significant aspect of African football.

“The towel is something too long to explain, but it’s an object that has meaning, that’s all! So if someone wanted to remove it, it was to disrupt things, but people in Europe don’t understand that there’s something behind it. Was the towel ‘blessed’? (Laughs) Well, these are beliefs—everyone believes in what they want. Those who don’t know Africa can’t understand, and Moroccans don’t let themselves be pushed around. I don’t know if it happened or not, but I’ve already lived through this kind of context on this continent! The king of this world silences the vipers.” he said as quoted by Collins Okinyo.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is considering banning the use of towels at any continental competitions. Although nothing has been made official yet in that regard.