AFCON
From AFCON Touchlines to Timeless Journeys: A Sports Reporter’s Pilgrimage to Ibn Battouta’s Museum in Tangier
By Kunle Solaja, Tangier
Covering a major tournament like the Africa Cup of Nations often narrows a journalist’s world to stadiums, training grounds and mixed zones. Yet, in Tangier, football kept nudging me gently toward history. One such nudge led to the modest but evocative Ibn Battuta Museum, dedicated to one of the greatest travellers the world has ever known.
The entrance to the Ibn Battouta Museum
Great thanks to the dedicated team of the Moroccan National Association of Media and Publishers (ANME) who served as tour guides.
Originally, the stadium in Tangier, now called Stade d’Tanger, where Senegal picked their ticket for the final match of the Africa Cup of Nations, was called the Ibn Battouta Stadium, in affectionate memory of a prominent traveller, hundreds of years ago.
Set within the winding alleys of the old medina of Tangier, which is the local market, the museum does not announce itself loudly. Like the journeys of its subject, it invites discovery rather than spectacle.
For a sports reporter accustomed to floodlights and roaring crowds, stepping into this quiet historical space felt like changing tempo—from a fast-paced counterattack to a patient build-up.
A Compact Museum with Expansive Ideas
The museum’s facilities are simple but thoughtfully curated. Display rooms are compact, clean and well-lit, guiding visitors chronologically through the life and travels of Ibn Battuta. Panels, maps and illustrations trace his astonishing 14th-century journeys across North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia and parts of Europe and China—covering a distance that modern estimates place at over 120,000 kilometres.
Graphic summary of Ibn Battuta’s global journey
Glass cases hold replicas of medieval travel instruments, old manuscripts and artistic representations of cities Ibn Battuta visited.
The walls are lined with maps that resemble early match charts—routes instead of fixtures, continents instead of groups, and seas instead of borders. For someone immersed in tournament logistics, these ancient travel routes felt oddly familiar: planning, endurance, adaptation and survival.
What struck me most was how Ibn Battuta’s travels mirrored the essence of elite sport. He left home at a young age, embracing uncertainty, adapting to foreign cultures, learning new languages, and surviving political upheavals, harsh climates, and long separations. His journey was not a straight path to glory; it was a series of away fixtures played under unfamiliar conditions.
His journey across Europe and Asia, as well as parts of Africa, however, did not take him to the area currently known as Nigeria. When I asked one member of Team ANME, Mamoune Kadiri, he jokingly responded that “Nigeria did not give him a visa.”
The museum highlights his encounters with sultans, scholars, merchants and ordinary people—a testament to how curiosity and openness can turn travel into education. Reading about his years on the road, I could not help but think of modern footballers and journalists who criss-cross continents in pursuit of careers, stories and moments that outlive scorelines.
A Fortress Above the Sea
One of the museum’s quiet surprises lies above. From its upper level, the building cuts the picture of an old fortress, offering commanding views of the sea and the bustling port below.
View from atop the Ibn Battuta Museum. The seaport where passengers travel to Europe.
There are relics of old machine guns pointing mainly towards the sea. From here, the geography of Tangier reveals itself in full: the coastline stretching outward, ships dotting the water, and the harbour where passengers board boats bound for Europe.
Where Sport Meets History
The museum’s quiet atmosphere encourages reflection. Benches placed strategically allow visitors to sit, read and absorb. There are no digital gimmicks or overwhelming multimedia displays—just history presented with restraint. It fits Tangier perfectly: a city that has always thrived on intersections, exchanges and movement.
Outside, the medina buzzes again—vendors calling, footsteps echoing, life resuming its normal rhythm. Inside, the legacy of a man who turned travel into purpose lingers.
A Different Kind of Matchday Memory
As AFCON headlines continue to be written and rewritten, this visit offered something rarer: perspective. Ibn Battuta’s story reminds us that journeys are not always about destinations or trophies, but about growth, resilience and understanding the world beyond familiar borders.
For a sports reporter in Tangier, the visit to Ibn Battuta’s museum became an unexpected extension of tournament coverage—proof that even during football’s biggest competitions, the road still has lessons to teach. And like the best matches, it is an experience that stays long after the final whistle.
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AFCON
Morocco Rejects Claims of Delay, Defends Legal Process in Case Involving Senegalese Supporters
Morocco’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has firmly rejected allegations of unjustified delays and poor detention conditions in the ongoing case involving Senegalese football supporters arrested after unrest linked to a recent continental fixture in Rabat.
In an official clarification, judicial authorities described circulating claims as “unfounded,” insisting that the legal proceedings have been conducted in accordance with Moroccan law and international standards.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office categorically denied any suggestion that the case has been deliberately delayed. Authorities stated that all procedural timelines have been respected and that adjournments were made strictly within the framework of due process.
According to the statement, postponements of hearings were granted at the request of the defendants themselves to allow adequate time to prepare their defence and to ensure the presence of their legal representatives.
Judicial officials also dismissed reports alleging that the detainees were on hunger strike. They confirmed that the accused are receiving their meals regularly and that detention conditions comply with applicable regulations.
“The rumours suggesting otherwise are without basis,” the statement noted.
Authorities explained that one of the hearings was attended by a lawyer registered with a Bar Association in France. However, the absence of a consultation office in Morocco, coupled with the defendants’ preference to be tried in the presence of their chosen lawyers, led to a postponement of the hearing until February 12, 2026.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office emphasised that these postponements were legitimate and aimed at safeguarding the defendants’ right to a fair trial.
Translation and Language Support
In response to concerns about language barriers, the court confirmed that it provided a sworn French-language interpreter during proceedings. French is reportedly mastered by all defendants.
Additionally, authorities coordinated with the Deputy Consul of Senegal in Morocco to make available an interpreter in Wolof, the defendants’ mother tongue, further ensuring that they fully understood the proceedings.
Officials also clarified that Moroccan law does not require the presence of an interpreter during the preliminary investigation phase if the judicial police officer understands the language of the individual concerned, provided that official reports are read and explained to them.
The Moroccan authorities reiterated their commitment to transparency, due process and the protection of the rights of all foreign nationals within the kingdom.
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A Moroccan court on Thursday sentenced 18 Senegalese football supporters to prison terms ranging from three to 12 months after finding them guilty of hooliganism during last month’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
The supporters had been in pre-trial detention since 18 January, the day Senegal defeated hosts Morocco 1–0 in a tense and controversial final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
According to the court’s ruling, nine of the defendants received one-year prison sentences and were fined 5,000 Moroccan dirhams (approximately $545). Six others were handed six-month terms alongside fines of 2,000 dirhams (about $218), while three supporters were sentenced to three months in prison and fined 1,000 dirhams (around $109).
Prosecutors had sought a maximum penalty of two years, arguing that the accused “deliberately sought to disrupt the proper conduct of the match” and engaged in “acts of violence broadcast live on television.”
Chaos at the Final
The AFCON final was overshadowed by dramatic scenes late in regulation time following a contentious penalty awarded to Morocco after a VAR review. Senegalese players protested the decision vehemently, surrounding the referee and causing play to be halted for nearly 20 minutes.
Amid the tension, some Senegalese supporters reportedly attempted to invade the pitch, while others threw objects — including chairs — onto the field. Players from both sides temporarily left the pitch before returning after intervention from security officials and match authorities.
Authorities said their case was supported by stadium surveillance footage and medical reports detailing injuries sustained by security personnel during the unrest.
However, defence lawyers rejected the charges and described the sentences as excessive.
“The footage does not contain irrefutable proof showing that any one of them struck or assaulted anyone,” defence counsel Naima El Guellaf told the court.
Another lawyer, Patrick Kabou, called the verdict “incomprehensible,” arguing that his clients were “victims” rather than perpetrators. The defence team has confirmed plans to file an appeal.
The ruling comes as football authorities continue to grapple with the fallout from a final that, despite Senegal’s historic victory, was overshadowed by controversy both on and off the pitch.
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French coach Herve Renard has reopened the debate around the controversial “towel incident” that marred the closing stages of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.
Renard, who previously coached Morocco and now manages the Saudi Arabia national football team, addressed the episode in a recent interview with Jeune Afrique, describing it as a complex issue rooted partly in African football culture.
“The towel story is long and complicated. It has a certain significance, that’s all,” Renard said. He suggested that, if anyone attempted to remove the towel, it could have been intended to unsettle the opponent psychologically.
“In Europe, people don’t understand that there is something behind it. Was the towel charmed? In Africa, these are beliefs, and everyone is free to believe what they want,” he added.
Renard stressed that cultural context is often overlooked by outsiders. “Those who don’t know Africa cannot understand. In this case, Moroccans would never allow anyone to cross that line,” he said, while admitting he was unsure whether events unfolded exactly as widely portrayed. Drawing from his extensive coaching experience across the continent, he noted that similar charged atmospheres are not uncommon in high-stakes African fixtures.
The incident occurred during the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final in Rabat, where Senegal defeated Morocco 1–0 to lift the continental crown.
Late in the match, attention shifted away from the ball to Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towel, which had been placed inside his goal to dry his gloves amid wet conditions. As tensions rose in the closing minutes, substitute goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf attempted to safeguard the towel, resulting in a chaotic scene inside the penalty area.
Television footage — quickly dubbed a “towel tussle” — showed Moroccan midfielder Ismael Saibari blocking Diouf as he tried to return the towel to Mendy, while a ball boy also reached for it. Diouf later insisted he had merely been assisting Mendy and had no intention of disrupting play.
Images circulating after the match appeared to show Moroccan players attempting to remove the towel, sparking a heated debate. Some observers viewed it as gamesmanship designed to unsettle the Senegalese goalkeeper, while others linked the episode to longstanding superstitious beliefs within segments of African football culture.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) disciplinary committee subsequently sanctioned Saibari with a two-match suspension and a $100,000 fine. The midfielder later apologised to Mendy, stating that his actions had been misunderstood.
CAF’s refereeing chief, Olivier Safari, also addressed the matter in an interview with Canal+ Afrique.
“The towel is not part of a goalkeeper’s official equipment. Its use must remain within the spirit of fair play,” Safari explained. “If it influences the match, it must be removed from the playing area.”
His comments underscored the regulatory grey area surrounding auxiliary items such as towels, which are not formally recognised as playing equipment under the Laws of the Game but are commonly used for practical reasons.
While the final result stands and Senegal’s victory remains uncontested, the towel episode has lingered in public discourse — not merely as a fleeting controversy, but as a symbol of the psychological and cultural layers that often accompany African football.
Renard’s remarks add nuance to the debate, suggesting that what may appear trivial to some can carry deeper meaning in different footballing contexts.
Nearly a year after Senegal’s triumph in Rabat, the “towel incident” continues to provoke reflection, less about fabric inside a goalmouth, and more about the intersection of belief, psychology and competition at the highest level of African football.
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