Refereeing scandals overshadowed the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, as underhanded and illegitimate methods were used to enable the host country, through favouritism and preferential treatment, to advance to the later rounds at the expense of other nations, including Algeria. The Algerian Football Federation filed complaints with CAF and FIFA following the national team’s elimination in the quarter-finals against Nigeria due to serious refereeing errors.
Observers agree that the Algerian national team’s elimination from the title race was orchestrated behind the scenes through biased and blatant refereeing.
Among other incidents, a clear penalty was not awarded, and unwarranted yellow cards were issued, undermining the morale and performance of the Algerian players throughout the match. The elimination was clearly premeditated, making Algeria’s exit from the competition effectively inevitable.
The refereeing strategy focused on undermining the Greens’ morale during the first fifteen minutes of the match and increasing psychological pressure on the Algerian team, thereby weakening their mental focus and impacting both their game plan and team effectiveness.
Nearly a similar scenario unfolded in the host country’s matches against Tanzania and Cameroon, where referees repeatedly failed to award clear penalties in favor of the Tanzanian and Cameroonian teams.
Refereeing experts described these incidents as “shameful scandals,” unprecedented in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations finals, further highlighting the interference of the Makhzen regime through its football federation president and his influence on the conduct of the competition, particularly the refereeing.
The situation persists, making it impossible to expect fair football organization or clean tournaments, as poor refereeing undermines the game before it even begins.
Unlike all previous editions, this tournament has been marked by unusual behaviors and suspicious actions, notably by those in charge of football affairs in the host country.
In this regard, several international media outlets, including The Guardian and Le Monde, have reported on corruption in African football, particularly in refereeing and mismanagement, highlighting the growing influence of certain corrupt figures, including Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa, whose involvement in matters damaging African football’s reputation and the integrity of the game was revealed during this tournament.
How can CAF’s refereeing committee be independent when it operates under the host country’s control, which uses all illegitimate means to influence refereeing decisions and ease its national team’s path to the advanced rounds through manipulation rather than fair play and earning victory on the pitch.
This leaves no doubt that the country is determined to win the cup through manipulation, pressure, bargaining, and other underhanded tactics rather than through skill and clean play on the field.
The contours of this scenario became apparent early on through the collusion employed by the host country to eliminate all strong teams that might stand in its way and prevent it from claiming the long-awaited African title.
It is not surprising that this country, which has long relied on bribery to achieve its aims in various international arenas, would employ the same tactics in football to claim the African Cup, exploiting its shady connections with individuals known to be involved in such corruption-related matters.
