Senegal player praised after fighting off Morocco ball boys during Afcon final

A clip of him saving Mendy's towel went viral

The 2026 Afcon final was marred by controversy, with Senegal accused of deliberately disrupting the final stages of the game by abandoning the pitch, after Morocco were handed a last-minute penalty.

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By the time the Senegal squad finally returned to the field, Morocco and Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz missed his spot kick, an error which many have put down to the added pressure of an arduous 15-minute delay to proceedings.

Despite the accusations aimed at Senegal this morning, fans have also spotted a controversial incident of play, seemingly instigated by some of the Moroccan set-up.

In the minutes leading up to the Diaz penalty, Moroccan players and ball boys could be seen trying to prize a towel out of Yéhvann Diouf's hands.

With the rain pouring down in Rabat, it was essential that Mendy was able to keep his gloves as dry as possible, to prevent the ball from slipping through his hands and into the net.

In order to disrupt that key process, Moroccan ball boys were seen trying to steal the towel.

Fortunately for Senegal and Mendy, Diouf stood fast, managing to evade all those attempts, and Mendy went on to save the vital Diaz attempt, setting his nation up for victory.

Fans were quick to praise Diouf's actions, with one calling him a "real soldier," and another adding: "not every hero wears the gloves."

Later making light of the scenario, the back-up keeper took to his Instagram story to say: "There it is... the medal and the towel."