Nigerian goalkeeper gave the middle finger during match as his towel was stolen

On January 14, in the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal, Morocco defeated Nigeria 4-2 in a penalty shootout to advance to the final. A controversial incident occurred on the sidelines of this match. During the game, Nigerian national team goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali’s personal towel was repeatedly taken by Moroccan ball boys. Eventually, he lost his composure and flipped off the stands multiple times, drawing widespread attention.

As the host nation of this tournament, all the ball boys in this match were from Morocco. Footage circulating online shows that during the game, Nwabali’s towel—placed near the goalpost for wiping sweat and keeping his hands dry—was repeatedly removed by Moroccan ball boys. Each time play was stopped due to a dead ball, Nwabali would turn around to look for his towel, only to find it missing again and again, forcing him to signal his frustration to the referee and sideline staff. However, since the majority of the crowd consisted of Moroccan supporters, each time his towel was taken, the audience would erupt in cheers.

As the situation kept recurring, Nwabali’s emotions were clearly affected. After his towel was taken yet again, the Nigerian goalkeeper made an obscene gesture—flipping off the stands—as he turned back to defend, a moment that quickly spread on social media and sparked heated debate. Some fans argued that the repeated removal of his towel disrupted the goalkeeper’s rhythm to some extent, and that Nwabali’s reaction was simply the result of emotional distress.

Even during the penalty shootout, the towel Nwabali had prepared for wiping sweat was still taken away. With the match intensity mounting, he was left with no choice but to continue playing helplessly.

Some reporters indicated that due to his repeated gestures toward the stands during the match, Nwabali might face disciplinary action and possible suspension from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Currently, CAF has not issued an official statement regarding the incident nor confirmed whether it will launch further investigations into either the ball boys’ conduct or Nwabali’s inappropriate gesture. Nevertheless, this episode has become one of the major controversies surrounding the match.