Morocco’s captain, Achraf Hakimi, has admitted he is not proud of the actions surrounding the towel controversy that occurred during the closing stages of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The incident involved opposing goalkeepers, including Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali and Senegal’s Édouard Mendy. During both the semifinal and final matches, Moroccan staff, ball boys, and some players were repeatedly seen attempting to take towels meant for the goalkeepers.
These actions raised concerns, as they appeared to be aimed at making it more difficult for the goalkeepers to maintain a firm grip in wet playing conditions. In the final, footage showed towels being taken from Mendy during light rain, while a similar situation occurred with Nwabali in the semifinal clash against Nigeria.
Speaking after Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-0 victory over Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg, Hakimi acknowledged the controversy.
He said the match was intense and emotionally charged but admitted disappointment over how the situation was handled, noting that he was not proud of the team’s behavior despite their strong performance in the tournament.
Morocco went on to defeat Nigeria 4-2 on penalties in the semifinal after missed spot-kicks from Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi.