AFCON 2025: CAF condemns unacceptable behaviour of players and officials

Violent confrontations at the conclusion of two of the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals at the weekend are to be investigated with possible sanctions to be imposed, the Confederation of African Football said.

Opposing players jostled with each other after Morocco beat Cameroon in Rabat on Friday and when Nigeria overcame Algeria in Agadir on Saturday. Video on social media showed the referee being pursued down the tunnel by Algerian players after their 2-0 defeat, and altercations among journalists from the two countries in the mixed zone, an area where reporters can interview players after the match.

A statement from CAF said: “CAF has collected recent match reports and video evidence indicating potentially unacceptable behaviour from some players and officials and has opened an investigation into match incidents during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 quarter-final fixtures between Cameroon and Morocco, as well as Algeria and Nigeria.

CAF has referred the matters to the Disciplinary Board for investigation and has called for appropriate action to be taken if the identified persons were to be found guilty of any wrongdoing.

CAF is also reviewing footage of an incident involving members of the media who allegedly misbehaved in the mixed zone area.

CAF strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour which occurs during matches, especially those targeting the refereeing team or match organizers. Appropriate actions will be sought against anyone whose behaviour is not consistent with professional conduct at CAF events.”