Olivier Safari’s Scandalous Defense of the AFCON “Towel Incident” Shames CAF
The recent attempt by Olivier Safari, President of the CAF Referees Committee, to address the ‘towel incident’ has sparked a firestorm of derision across the globe. By attempting to justify the actions of Moroccan ball boys and officials—who were seen harassing goalkeepers Edouard Mendy and Stanley Nwabali—Safari has managed to transform a logistical embarrassment into a full-blown administrative scandal.
Speaking to Canal+ Afrique on January 26, 2026, Safari offered a perspective that can only be described as a bizarre reversal of logic. Rather than condemning the blatant interference of stadium staff, Safari chose to pivot the blame toward the athletes themselves. He argued that because a towel is not part of a goalkeeper’s official equipment, its presence is a privilege that must be exercised in a sporting manner. Most shockingly, he suggested that as soon as a player begins influencing the game, the towel should be forcibly removed from the field. This statement essentially frames a goalkeeper’s basic need for dry gloves—a fundamental safety and performance requirement—as a tactical weapon that justifies physical intervention from non-players.
This stance is nothing short of a “Cheat’s Charter” that shames CAF and the entire continent. By suggesting that towels can be confiscated if they somehow influence the game, Safari has effectively legalized the harassment of visiting players by host-nation stadium staff.
It is a dangerous precedent that invites chaos and rewards unsporting behavior. Furthermore, to imply that elite professionals like Mendy or Nwabali were being unsporting by simply trying to maintain their grip in a final is an exercise in gaslighting that insults the intelligence of fans and athletes alike.
Perhaps the most scandalous aspect of Safari’s defense is the apparent double standard it creates for host nations. The incidents in question involved Moroccan staff targeting opposing keepers; by focusing on the legality of a piece of cloth rather than the unprofessionalism of the perpetrators, Safari appears to be shielding the organizers from accountability. While a towel may not be listed in the official equipment handbook, the laws of the game are crystal clear regarding outside interference: ball boys are there to facilitate the flow of the match, not to engage in psychological warfare or physical scuffles with players.
Ultimately, Safari’s comments represent a dark day for African football. If the head of the Referees Committee cannot distinguish between a routine player necessity and unsporting behavior, it leaves little hope for the integrity of match management at any level.
