Fresh off their triumph at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the Senegal national team was honored with a grand welcome at the Presidential Palace in Dakar on Tuesday night. It was during this reception that the Prime Minister jokingly teased substitute goalkeeper Diouf.
As Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko awaited the arrival of goalkeeper Diouf, he couldn't resist joking about the "Towel Gate" incident from the team's match against Morocco. At that time, in a bid to protect teammate Édouard Mendy's towel, Diouf was dragged to the ground by a ball boy, creating a bizarre sideshow during the game.
The atmosphere at Sunday evening's Africa Cup of Nations final was nothing short of dreamlike, yet a minor controversy surrounding a "towel" became a focal point away from the pitch. During the match, Senegal substitute goalkeeper Yewan Diouf was chased by a Moroccan ball boy and eventually tackled to the ground, all in an attempt to seize the towel belonging to Mendy, which Diouf was desperately guarding. In fact, starting from the second half, Moroccan players had repeatedly tried to snatch the towel. However, this dramatic contest concluded with Senegal defeating Morocco 1-0 in extra time to successfully claim the title.
Footage from the scene showed several young ball boys rushing to the touchline with the clear objective of grabbing the towel. Moroccan players Yahya Attiyat Allah and Achraf Hakimi even personally joined in the scrum. The most surprising sight, undoubtedly, was Diouf. Instead of focusing on his goalkeeping preparations, he was forced to act as a makeshift "bodyguard" in front of his teammate's goal, doing his utmost to shield the towel.
Regarding this sudden "Battle of the Towel," Diouf shared his perspective: "For me, it was just an ordinary towel, used to dry my gloves and wipe my face. Perhaps in the eyes of others, these towels hold some folkloric significance, but to me, it was really quite ordinary. When I saw them all desperately trying to take it, I was just as surprised as everyone else... I truly don't know why they did it, but such behavior is clearly not in the spirit of sportsmanship."
Moving to Tuesday afternoon, the Senegal team held a victory parade on the streets of Dakar. After receiving the cheers and blessings of the public, the team proceeded to the Presidential Palace, where they were personally received by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. The strange "towel incident" naturally became a hot topic of discussion, drawing attention even from the highest levels of Senegal's government.
During the reception, the two Senegalese leaders went up to shake hands with and congratulate each player individually. In a video circulating on social media, Paris Saint-Germain players Ibrahim Mbaye, Ndiaye, and of course Diouf, can be seen. When it was Diouf's turn to meet Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, the Prime Minister smiled and teased: "Where is your towel?" The comment instantly sparked laughter from nearby players like Kalidou Koulibaly, lightening the atmosphere and making it even more relaxed and joyous.
As a matter of fact, the 26-year-old goalkeeper had already mocked the "Towel Gate" in his own way in the locker room shortly after the awards ceremony. At the time, he posted a photo on social media showing him with the heavy Africa Cup of Nations winner's medal in his mouth, captioning it: "It's here (both the medal and the towel)", followed by a laughing emoji.