Morocco’s national team was awarded the Fair Play Award at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, an honor intended to recognize the squad that best exemplified sportsmanship, discipline, and respect throughout the tournament. The presentation, typically a moment of pride, instead sparked widespread controversy and disbelief due to a widely circulated incident from the final against Senegal involving captain Achraf Hakimi and the repeated attempts to interfere with goalkeeper Édouard Mendy’s towel.

The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final, held in Rabat, Morocco, saw the host nation fall 1-0 to Senegal in extra time. Pape Gueye’s decisive goal secured Senegal’s second continental title in a match already overshadowed by drama. Late in regulation, referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a controversial penalty after a VAR review of a challenge on Brahim Díaz. The decision triggered a 17-minute delay as Senegal players protested, refusing to resume play amid tensions in the stands and on the pitch. When the spot-kick was eventually taken, Díaz chipped it straight down the middle, allowing Mendy to make a comfortable save and preserve the deadlock until extra time.

Amid the chaos, a separate but highly visible subplot unfolded behind Senegal’s goal. Multiple clips showed Moroccan ball boys—young assistants tasked with supporting fair play and retrieving balls—repeatedly attempting to snatch Mendy’s towel from the goalposts. The towel, essential for the goalkeeper to wipe rain, sweat, or gloves during the wet conditions, became a bizarre point of contention. Mendy’s backup goalkeeper, Yehvann Diouf, was seen physically wrestling the towel back from four ball boys at one stage, protecting it so Mendy could stay dry and focused.

The most talked-about moment involved Hakimi himself. Video footage captured the Morocco captain picking up Mendy’s towel and tossing it toward a ball boy behind the advertising hoardings, seemingly attempting to hide or remove it from reach. The act, while minor in isolation, stood out as unsportsmanlike—especially from the team captain—and fueled accusations of gamesmanship bordering on disruption. Social media erupted with criticism: fans called it “shameless,” “disrespectful,” and “the opposite of fair play,” with many pointing out the irony of Morocco receiving the tournament’s Fair Play Award shortly after.

The Fair Play Award, presented by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), is determined by a combination of factors including yellow and red card counts, positive conduct on and off the pitch, and overall behavior during matches. Morocco’s campaign was marked by strong discipline in several games, few bookings relative to other teams, and a passionate but controlled home support. CAF officials likely weighed these elements against isolated incidents, deciding the team as a whole merited the recognition. Hakimi, as captain, collected the award on behalf of the squad, a scene that drew immediate online backlash given the fresh memory of the towel episode.

Critics argue the decision undermines the award’s credibility. “How do you give fair play to the team whose captain throws away the opponent’s towel?” became a common refrain on platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram. Some pointed to broader patterns: earlier matches had shown similar attempts to interfere with opposing goalkeepers’ equipment, including against Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali in the semifinals. Videos circulated showing Moroccan staff or ball boys using lasers on goalkeepers and repeatedly targeting towels, suggesting a tactical ploy to unsettle keepers in wet conditions where grip and visibility are crucial.

Defenders of Morocco counter that the towel incidents were isolated, opportunistic, and not reflective of the team’s overall conduct. They highlight the hosts’ gracious acceptance of defeat in the final, the lack of major violent incidents, and the fact that Senegal’s walk-off protest and the controversial penalty decision created far more disruption than any towel-related antics. Some even joked that the ball boys acted independently or that Hakimi’s toss was a split-second reaction amid the high-pressure environment.

The controversy reflects deeper tensions in modern football, where marginal gains—legal or otherwise—can decide matches. Towel interference isn’t new; goalkeepers often face distractions, from crowd noise to objects thrown near the goal. Yet the visibility of the final, broadcast worldwide, amplified scrutiny. Mendy, a former Chelsea star and Senegal hero, handled the situation professionally, retrieving his towel each time and making the critical save that kept his team alive.

CAF has not commented on the backlash or indicated any review of the award. For Morocco, the Fair Play trophy sits alongside memories of a strong run as hosts, even if the final defeat stung. For critics, it remains a symbol of perceived hypocrisy: a team praised for sportsmanship while its captain engaged in an act many view as petty gamesmanship.

The incident has sparked wider debate about what “fair play” truly means in high-stakes tournaments. Is it about avoiding cards and maintaining decorum, or does it extend to respecting opponents’ tools and preparation? As AFCON 2025 fades into history, the image of Hakimi tossing Mendy’s towel—and Morocco lifting the Fair Play Award shortly after—will linger as one of the tournament’s most debated footnotes.

In the end, Senegal lifted the real prize—the Africa Cup of Nations trophy—while Morocco took home the symbolic one. Whether that award feels deserved or ironic depends on which moment viewers choose to remember: the disciplined campaign or the desperate towel toss in the dying light of the final.