The so-called "towel fight" has returned to the forefront of African football once again, after a controversial incident occurred during the match between Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and Maniema Union of Congo.
The incident brought to mind the events of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, which caused a huge uproar when ball boys clashed with Senegal's reserve goalkeeper Yvan Diouf in an attempt to seize the towels of starting goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, in a scene that drew sharp criticism at the time.
According to what was revealed by the “Foot Africa” website, the incident was repeated again in Morocco, during the match that brought together Wydad and Maniema Union at the Mohammed V Stadium last Sunday, as part of the African Confederation Cup competitions.
Some of the ball boys tried to take possession of the Congolese team's towels, causing confusion and resentment on the Maniema Union bench.
Despite the controversy surrounding the match, Wydad Casablanca managed to continue its strong start in Group B of the group stage, achieving a hard-fought 1-0 victory, thus confirming its strong presence in the African Confederation Cup.
