For CAF, Algeria is the culprit of the CAN 2025 fiasco which has just ended in Morocco (December 21 – January 18, 2026).
Very heavy sanctions were imposed against the Algerian Football Federation and two Greens players, goalkeeper Luca Zidane and defender Rafik Belghali.
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At the same time, the coach of Morocco, Walid Regragui, who lost the final and whose selection did not impress with his play during the tournament, was named best coach of the tournament.
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CAF rewards losers and turns a blind eye to scandals
Even in Morocco, Regragui did not convince and suffered numerous criticisms. What did he do so special to deserve this title? His team advanced to the final largely thanks to refereeing.
CAF thus rewards the losers and turns a blind eye to the refereeing and organizational scandals which shocked the whole world during the competition, which remained silent. A double standard that calls out.
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Beyond the serious errors » of arbitration, almost all in favor of the host country, if there is one behavior to be punished severely, it is that of the Moroccans, players, ball boys and stewards, who put Senegalese goalkeeper Édouard Mendy through an ordeal during the final.
The shameful napkin fight
In front of cameras from around the world, the goalkeeper had to fight throughout the match to keep his towel which the players and members of the Moroccan technical staff were trying to steal from him.
Senegal’s replacement goalkeeper was dragged to the ground by ball boys who wanted that towel. Moroccan players are directly involved, notably Saibari and Hakimi, to the indifference of the referee. The PSG side then apologized for this gesture unworthy of an international.
This is unheard of in the history of football, let alone in the final of a major international competition.
But CAF said nothing. She preferred to sanction Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane and his teammate Rafik Belghali with two match suspensions for protesting to the referees after the quarter-final against Nigeria.
The Algerian Football Federation also received a fine rarely seen in Africa, a cumulative fine of $100,000, notably for protests by Algerian supporters against the arbitration.
Although it is normal to sanction the throwing of projectiles, the sentence nevertheless remains heavy and the CAF has demonstrated flagrant unfairness by turning a blind eye to the excesses of the host country, which remains responsible for the organization.
CAF’s incredible attitude towards Algeria and Morocco
The referees clearly favored Morocco, whose reputation as a cheater, schemer and corrupter, is no longer in doubt, if only by the blatant, but not whistled, penalties for Mali in the group stage, Tanzania in the round of 16 and Cameroon in the quarter-finals.
It was also the impartiality of the field referees and the VAV which almost ignited the powder during the final. In the last minutes of this match, a valid goal was refused to Senegal, who will subsequently be punished with a very questionable penalty.
CAF also did not sanction the Moroccans for endangering the Senegal players and staff, left alone at the Rabat station in the middle of the crowd two days before the final. This act was denounced with great vehemence by the Senegalese Federation and coach Pape Thiaw.
It is clear that the African Confederation, which counts among its most influential members the Moroccan Fouzi Lekjaa, has spared Morocco since the start of the competition.
Now, it is a matter of consoling him after his great disillusionment with the failure of the organization and the loss of the trophy which he has not won for half a century.
Morocco could not have better consolation than a severe sanction from Algeria. The severity of the sentence, rarely seen in Africa, is also a way of distorting public opinion’s perception of what happened during CAN 2025 and of placing Algeria in the role of the culprit. The hand of Fouzi Lekjaa is no stranger to this stratagem.
The inequity of CAF is already going around the world and is being mocked on foreign platforms. On Canal+, journalist Nabil Djellit explained that the Algerians have no problem accepting defeat, but what they do not accept, “ it’s the referees who are not up to standard ».
« Today, when we criticize referees who are not up to standard, we are accused of fueling conspiracy “, he regretted.
« CAF has decided, I think that at the moment, it has a lot of things to resolve », added the journalist, before leaving the set with this sentence loaded with meaning: “ I’m going to get my towel, I’m sweating a little too much. »
