Senegal has an unlikely new hero, but he didn’t even feature in the match Chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final His country won.
In a bizarre turn of events, Senegal’s second-choice goalkeeper Yehuvan Diouf spent much of Sunday’s game protecting the towel used by starting keeper Edouard Mendy from repeated attempts by ball boys to snatch it.
Diouf’s performance has been hailed by fans as almost as important as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winning goal, which clinched Senegal’s second African Cup of Nations title.
Goalkeepers often keep a towel nearby to dry themselves and their gloves, especially in wet conditions like Sunday’s final in Rabat.
Diouf played a key role in repelling attacks on the sideline. At one point he was chased along the touchline by ball boys. Some videos also show him lying on the pitch, covering himself with a towel, as young men try to wrestle him.
Other footage taken from the stands showed Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi throwing Mendy’s towel at an advertising board. At another moment, Moroccan midfielder Ismael Saibari tried to prevent Diouf from passing the towel to Mendy.
One social media user praised the second-choice goalkeeper’s tireless efforts, writing to X: “Yevan Diouf’s job, guys. You guys have the respect of the whole country. Soldiers.”
Diouf made light of the situation, later posting a photo of himself biting into a medal and holding a towel with the caption: “This is (medal and towel).”
After the game, coach Diouf told reporters he couldn’t understand why the opposing team was so obsessed with towels.
“Maybe people read something into those towels, but in any case they were only used to dry gloves and faces when it was raining,” he said. “I was surprised like you, but like the whole team, we pulled together and Edouard was able to get the towel he needed.”
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Associated Press on Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations
