Morocco win Fair Play Award despite chaotic AFCON 2025 final

In one of the most surprising twists of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, hosts Morocco were handed the Fair Play Award, even after a final that many fans will remember more for its chaos and controversy than calm sportsmanship.

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The Fair Play Award, presented by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), is meant to honour the team that best embodies respect, discipline and sporting conduct throughout the tournament.

Yet its destination this year has sparked debate, largely because Morocco’s final against Senegal was anything but serene.The AFCON 2025 final in Rabat was tense from the first whistle, but drama truly erupted in the closing stages of normal time.

A VAR review led the referee to award Morocco a late penalty, a decision that angered the Senegal camp so much that head coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players off the pitch in protest.For several minutes, confusion reigned as officials and players tried to calm the situation.

Eventually, Senegal returned to the field after captain Sadio Mané intervened, and Morocco’s Brahim Díaz stepped up, only to see his penalty saved. The stadium erupted, and the match eventually went into extra time, where Senegal clinched victory.But the penalty drama was not the only incident that caught attention.

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The Towel Saga That Went
ViralThroughout the match, strange scenes unfolded around Senegal’s goal. Ball boys and pitch-side attendants were repeatedly seen trying to snatch the towels used by Senegal’s goalkeeper.

Towels needed to dry their hands and gloves during play.Videos circulated widely on social media showing attendants tugging at towels and even running away with them. In one particularly talked-about moment, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi was seen picking up a towel and tossing it behind the advertising boards, apparently to keep it away from the Senegalese players.

These incidents were not isolated. Similar scenes had occurred earlier in the tournament during Morocco’s semi-final against Nigeria, raising questions about whether this was coincidence or gamesmanship.

Why Then the Fair Play Award?
Given all this, Morocco being named Fair Play winners left many fans puzzled.CAF’s regulations state that the award considers a team’s behaviour across the entire tournament, not just in one match. Disciplinary records, respect for officials, and overall conduct all form part of the assessment.

From CAF’s perspective, Morocco’s conduct throughout most of the competition apparently met the criteria better than any other team’s.Still, critics argue that the final should weigh heavily in such decisions.

For many supporters, the chaotic scenes did not align with what they expect from a “fair play” champion.CAF has since condemned unacceptable behaviour witnessed during the final and confirmed that footage from the match will be reviewed, with possible sanctions to follow. 

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Yet the award stands and it has reopened a broader conversation about sportsmanship in African football, the role of ball boys and officials, and where the line lies between clever tactics and unsporting conduct.