As the incidents from the 2025 AFCON final sparked discussions on Friday during the executive committee meeting of the African Football Confederation (CAF), a statement from the president of the refereeing commission sent shockwaves, especially in Morocco.
Gathered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, African football leaders met for the first time since the events that unfolded during the 2025 AFCON final held in Morocco. “Extremely disappointed by what happened,” president Patrice Motsepe mentioned a future tightening of the Disciplinary Code, deeming the sanctions imposed so far too lenient. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the officiating.
His words opened the floodgates, starting with Olivier Safari Kabene, president of the refereeing commission. According to WinWin, the Congolese official revealed he had indirectly prevented the premature stoppage of the match, as the rules dictated after the temporary withdrawal of Senegalese players — a decision that could have handed Morocco a victory by default.
More specifically, he allegedly instructed not to penalize the Senegalese players upon their return to the pitch to avoid an early end to the match. This was a heavy decision, as some players, including Ismaïla Sarr and El Hadji Malick Diouf, had already been cautioned and risked exclusion, putting Senegal at a significant numerical disadvantage.
“All Senegalese players who left the field should have been cautioned immediately upon their return, but we instructed not to do so to preserve the match and avoid its stoppage before the end of regulation time,” he reportedly said. This explosive revelation reignites the controversy surrounding this high-tension final.
Referees changed on the eve of the tournament
Even more troubling, the president of the refereeing commission of the African Football Confederation allegedly claimed he was unaware of most of the referees ultimately appointed to officiate during the competition. This statement is particularly surprising since he participated in the last preparatory meeting — a sort of squad review — held before the opening match.
Implicitly, these comments suggest that changes may have been made without his approval. The possibility of behind-the-scenes interventions now fuels speculation and casts a shadow over the internal workings of the organization. This revelation is likely to increase pressure on the executive committee members, already under fire after the controversial events of the final.
