The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Referees Committee has indicated it may review existing guidelines on goalkeepers’ use of towels following repeated interference with the items during the knockout stages of the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Olivier Safari, president of the CAF Referees Committee, described the incidents as a regulatory gap that organisers must address in future tournaments. Speaking in an interview with Canal+ Afrique, he stressed that towels are not recognised as official playing equipment and must only be used in line with the spirit of fair play.
“This is a problem organisers must take into account in future competitions,” Safari said. “A towel is not equipment for a player or a goalkeeper. When a goalkeeper carries a towel, it must be done in a sporting and fair-play manner. Once it is used to shout instructions or influence the game, I believe it should be removed from the playing area.”
The issue first gained widespread attention during the semi-final between Nigeria and hosts Morocco, when Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali faced repeated distractions as stadium officials tampered with towels placed behind his goal. Viral video footage showed the items being moved or removed, prompting strong reactions from Nigerian fans and observers who questioned the level of control around the pitch area.
The controversy escalated in the final, where Senegal’s Edouard Mendy encountered similar interference from ball boys, stewards, and even Moroccan players. In one widely shared clip, Morocco captain and Africa Footballer of the Year Achraf Hakimi was seen removing Mendy’s towel from the goal area. At various points, Senegal’s substitute goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf intervened to protect the towels, leading to chaotic scenes as he was chased across the pitch and eventually escorted away by officials.
Despite the disruptions, Senegal claimed the AFCON title with a victory over the hosts. Reports, however, suggest possible disciplinary action against sections of Senegal’s supporters, head coach Pape Thiaw, and the Senegal Football Federation over separate incidents during the match.
Goalkeepers have long relied on towels to dry gloves and maintain grip, particularly in wet conditions—a practical measure that has become standard in the modern game. In recent years, the practice has occasionally drawn scrutiny amid suggestions that some keepers attach notes or markings to the fabric to relay tactical information to defenders during set pieces or penalties. While the Laws of the Game, as set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), do not explicitly prohibit such items, they emphasise that any equipment must not endanger safety or contravene the spirit of fair play.
The Morocco-hosted tournament, the first time the North African nation solely staged Africa’s premier football competition, was played under occasionally heavy rain in some venues, making glove maintenance a genuine concern for shot-stoppers. Yet the repeated removal of towels—seen by many as deliberate attempts to unsettle opposing keepers—has reignited debate over where practicality ends and gamesmanship begins.
Past continental and global tournaments have witnessed similar fringe controversies involving auxiliary items. Water bottles bearing coded instructions have become commonplace at goalmouths worldwide, while ball retrieval delays by retrieval staff have long been a subtle tool in time management tactics. The visible tussles over towels at this AFCON, however, mark a rare instance of such open interference escalating to physical confrontations on the pitch.
CAF has yet to announce formal proposals, but Safari’s comments signal growing institutional concern that unchecked use or misuseof non-standard items could undermine the integrity of matches.
