The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has opened an investigation into alleged misconduct involving players and officials during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 quarter-final matches between Cameroon and Morocco, as well as Algeria and Nigeria.
The investigation follows reports of confrontations with match officials and disturbances in post-match areas. In a statement published on CAF’s official website on Monday, the continental body said it had reviewed match reports and video footage indicating possible breaches of conduct and has referred the cases to its Disciplinary Board for further examination.
“CAF has referred the matters to the Disciplinary Board for investigation and will take appropriate action should any individuals be found guilty of misconduct,” the statement said. CAF also confirmed it is reviewing footage of an incident involving members of the media accused of misbehaviour in the mixed zone.
During the quarter-final matches over the weekend, Nigeria defeated Algeria 2–0 in Marrakech, with goals from Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams securing the Super Eagles’ place in the semi-finals. However, the match descended into disorder after full-time, as Algerian players confronted the refereeing team, leading to scuffles and an attempted pitch invasion that was stopped by stadium security.
The Algerian Football Federation has since submitted a formal complaint to CAF, citing controversial decisions by Senegalese referee Issa Sy, including the refusal to award a first-half penalty for an alleged handball in the Nigerian penalty area.
In the other quarter-final, Morocco claimed a 2–0 victory over Cameroon, but that match was also overshadowed by refereeing disputes. Cameroon’s players protested the failure to award two penalties, both involving Moroccan defender Adam Masina. Morocco head coach Walid Regragui rejected claims of home-team bias during his post-match press conference.
CAF reiterated its commitment to upholding professionalism at all its competitions, stressing that it “strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour, particularly actions directed at match officials or organisers,” and vowed to take disciplinary measures against anyone found to have breached its code of conduct.
