The president of the CAF referees’ commission has sparked fierce criticism with his particularly controversial comments regarding the “towel incident” that occurred during the CAN 2025 final.
More than a week after that wild final, where Senegal triumphed over Morocco (0-0, 1-0 after extra time) on Sunday, January 18, the controversies keep rolling in, affecting both the Atlas Lions and the Teranga Lions.
At the heart of the debate is the infamous “towel incident.” To recap, several Moroccan players, including midfielder Ismael Saibari, tried to grab the towel of Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, which was carefully protected by his teammate Yehvann Diouf.
To try to put an end to any further controversy, Olivier Safari, president of the CAF referees’ commission, spoke to Canal+ Afrique. However, his explanations were deemed quite questionable.
The CAF referees’ president shocked everyone by blaming… the goalkeepers! Olivier Safari stated, “This is a problem that the organizer must consider in future competitions. The towel is not a piece of equipment for a player or a goalkeeper. When a goalkeeper brings a towel, it should be done in a very sporting manner and with fair play. Once he starts shouting or influencing the game, that towel should be kept away from the playing area.”
These comments echo Yehvann Diouf’s remarks about a Moroccan ball boy: “He told me, ‘Be fair play.’ I replied, ‘Fair play about what? You are the ones taking the towels, and I’m the one not being fair play (…) ?'”
On the Canal+ Afrique set, Olivier Safari’s opinion was far from unanimous. Former Senegal coach Claude Le Roy did not hide his astonishment: “It’s quite absurd to see the president of the CAF referees’ commission practically giving a yellow card to the towel. It’s absolutely incredible.”
