The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has initiated an inquiry into alleged misconduct involving players and officials during the AFCON 2025 quarter-final matches between Cameroon and Morocco, as well as Algeria and Nigeria. This investigation follows reports of player confrontations with referees and disturbances in the post-match areas.
CAF issued a statement on Monday confirming that it had gathered match reports and video evidence suggesting inappropriate behavior during the games. These issues have been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board for further review.
The statement read: “CAF has forwarded the matter to the Disciplinary Board and has called for the appropriate actions to be taken if any individuals are found guilty. The organization is also reviewing video footage of an incident involving some members of the media who were allegedly disruptive in the mixed zone.”
During the quarter-final matches over the weekend, Nigeria triumphed 2-0 over Algeria in Marrakech, thanks to goals from Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams. Despite the victory, the match was overshadowed by chaos, with Algerian players confronting the referees on the field, leading to physical altercations and a pitch invasion attempt by fans, which was swiftly halted by stadium security.
The Algerian Football Federation has formally lodged a complaint with CAF, citing controversial officiating by Senegalese referee Issa Sy, particularly an unawarded penalty for a handball by Nigeria’s defenders in the first half.
On the other hand, Morocco advanced with a 2-0 win over Cameroon, but this match too was marred by disputes over officiating. Cameroon’s players felt wronged by two penalty calls that were not given against Morocco’s Adam Masina.
Morocco’s coach, Walid Regragui, denied any home-team bias, rejecting allegations of unfair refereeing in the post-match press conference.
CAF reiterated its commitment to upholding professional standards across all its competitions. The statement added: “CAF strongly condemns any inappropriate behavior during matches, particularly those directed at referees or match officials. Any individuals found to have acted unprofessionally will face appropriate consequences.”
