The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has handed down heavy sanctions to Algeria following a post-match altercation that marred their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal defeat to Nigeria, gathered from sources close to the tournament. The Super Eagles recorded a convincing 2–0 victory over the Fennec Foxes on January 10 to book a place in the AFCON semifinals.
It was one of Nigeria’s most dominant displays in recent years, with Éric Chelle’s side completely outclassing the North Africans. The Super Eagles could have scored four or five goals on another day, while Algeria struggled badly in attack and failed to seriously test goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Remarkably, the Fennec Foxes only registered their first real attempt on goal in the second half.
Frustration boiled over at the final whistle, as several Algerian players and officials reportedly attempted to confront the match officials. The situation escalated into a physical scuffle and required the intervention of stewards, who eventually escorted the referees away from the pitch to ensure their safety.
Following an investigation into the incident, CAF opted to take a firm stance. The Algerian Football Federation has been fined $100,000, while goalkeeper Luca Zidane and defender Rafik Belghali have both received two-match bans. As a result, the duo will miss Algeria’s opening fixtures in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series later this year.
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Although some Super Eagles players were caught up in the heated scenes, CAF found no Nigerian player or official guilty of any punishable offence, and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) escaped without sanction.
The disciplinary action adds to the growing list of controversies at AFCON 2025, a tournament marked by several flashpoints involving different teams, including hosts Morocco. CAF is expected to continue reviewing incidents from the competition as it seeks to maintain discipline and prevent similar occurrences in future tournaments.