AFCON FINAL SPARKS CHAOS AND POLITICAL BACKLASH
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between host nation Morocco and Senegal has left the continent reeling, not just because of a thrilling extra-time finish, but due to controversial refereeing decisions that overshadowed what should’ve been a celebratory climax to the tournament.
Senegal claimed a 1-0 victory after extra time, but it’s the chaos surrounding the officiating that has dominated reaction in the days since.
At the centre of the storm was Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo, whose decisions deep into stoppage time triggered outrage. After disallowing a late Senegalese goal, Ndala then awarded a penalty to Morocco following a VAR review. This call sparked protests so intense that Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in defiance.
The delay of almost 15 minutes was unprecedented. When play resumed, Moroccan star Brahim Díaz missed the kick with a panenka attempt, and Senegal went on to score in extra time to seal the title.
The fallout hasn’t been peaceful. A Moroccan member of parliament publicly demanded that the referee be arrested and held criminally liable for his decisions, even floating far-fetched claims about rituals affecting the penalty.
Football legend Thierry Henry weighed in too, saying referees at AFCON “aren’t at the level of the show” and that their missteps helped fuel the chaos on the pitch.
CAF (the Confederation of African Football) has condemned some of the behaviour from players to officials and launched disciplinary reviews of the match’s most contentious moments.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino also called the walk-off and off-field disruption “unacceptable”, urging respect for match officials.
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