CAF Referees Committee in Crisis After Controversial Decisions at AFCON 2025
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Referees Committee has been thrown into internal turmoil following a string of controversial officiating decisions at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, with concerns intensifying after the conclusion of the third and final round of group-stage matches, Nigeriasoccernet.com writes.
The controversy has largely centred on a disputed incident from the Group A encounter between Mali and Comoros, played last Monday, which has since sparked widespread debate across the continent. Reports by Winwin indicate that the incident triggered heated technical discussions within the CAF Referees Committee, leading to emergency deliberations at CAF headquarters as officials reviewed the growing backlash surrounding refereeing standards at the tournament.
During the match, Chadian referee Mohamed El Hadj Ali issued a red card to Mali midfielder Amadou Haidara, who plays for German Bundesliga side RB Leipzig. The decision came after Egyptian VAR official Mahmoud Ashour advised the referee to conduct an on-field review of the incident. The sending-off was immediately met with strong criticism from analysts, fans, and football stakeholders, many of whom questioned the justification for VAR’s involvement.
Following an extensive post-match review, the CAF Referees Committee admitted that the red card decision was wrong. According to the committee, a formal vote was conducted involving its members and relevant match officials, with unanimous agreement that the VAR intervention was unnecessary and that the referee’s decision amounted to a serious officiating error.
It was further revealed that both the match referee and the VAR official tendered apologies during a subsequent technical meeting, openly acknowledging their mistake and accepting responsibility for the flawed judgment. Despite the admission of error, the consequences remain severe for Mali, as Haidara is still expected to serve a two-match suspension.
As a result, the influential midfielder will miss Mali’s crucial Round of 16 clash against Tunisia, scheduled for next Saturday, a development that has heightened concerns about the direct impact of officiating errors on the outcome of matches in the knockout phase.
CAF officials are reportedly worried that such mistakes could undermine the integrity of the competition as it enters its decisive stages. In response, the Referees Committee has reiterated its commitment to holding regular technical review meetings with match officials throughout the tournament, intending to correct errors, reinforce consistency, and reduce the likelihood of similar incidents going forward.
With the knockout phase of AFCON 2025 set to kick off on Saturday, refereeing standards are now under intense scrutiny, as teams, fans, and observers closely monitor how CAF addresses officiating challenges in Africa’s premier football tournament.
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