Former Morocco coach and a deep connoisseur of African football, Hervé Renard reflected on the infamous towel incident that sparked so much talk during the 2025 AFCON final between Morocco and Senegal.
Nearly a month after that high-stakes match, the controversy continues to fuel discussions. Having coached Ghana, Zambia, Angola, Ivory Coast, and USM Alger, Renard tried to shed light on the matter in the podcast Colinterview. According to him, the attempts targeting Edouard Mendy’s equipment, Senegal’s goalkeeper, were not mere coincidence.
For the current coach of Saudi Arabia, there is a symbolic and cultural dimension behind this object that is often misunderstood in Europe. “People who don’t know Africa can’t grasp the true reason behind the towel. The towel has significance. If someone wanted to take it away, it was to disrupt,” he explained.
Touching on deeply rooted beliefs, he suggested that the object could be linked to a form of blessing or protection. “It wasn’t just about taking a towel,” he insisted, reminding everyone that these beliefs, whether one subscribes to them or not, hold significant importance in certain cultures across the African continent.
