The head of the referees committee, Congolese Victor Gomez Safari, revealed controversial statements regarding the events of the recent Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final held in Morocco, during an emergency meeting of the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
These statements, leaked by a sports platform, revealed unconventional interventions in the management of the match, raising questions about the integrity of officiating in major African tournaments and the reality of what transpired in this extraordinary final.
“Players from Senegal should have been cautioned, but we prevented it to save the match”
In the context of discussing the final’s events, which saw a temporary withdrawal of Senegalese players from the field in protest against a controversial refereeing decision, Safari stated that “all the withdrawing Senegalese players should have been cautioned immediately upon their return to the field.”
However, he added that the committee issued explicit instructions to the referee not to do so, “in order to maintain the match and not end it before the scheduled time.”
This statement raises questions about the extent of the committee’s intervention in the referees’ decisions on the pitch, suggesting that organizational considerations took precedence over strict sporting laws.
Amid questions about whether the real goal was to avoid embarrassment before global audiences, or if there were other hidden reasons?
This direct instruction reveals a flaw in the independence of officiating, which may expose CAF to legal and sporting criticisms.
Changing the regulations
Moreover, CAF President Patrick Motsepe promised after this meeting to change the current regulations and enact strict laws and harsh penalties for anyone committing violations similar to what occurred in the AFCON final, especially concerning the withdrawal of the Senegalese team, asserting that they would not allow this incident to recur.
According to Motsepe, although disciplinary decisions will be issued, Morocco will most likely head to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to adjudicate the actions taken by the federation and the Senegalese team.
