The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) has taken formal action against officiating at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations following its quarter-final exit from the tournament.
Algeria was eliminated from the competition after a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Saturday, January 10, 2026, in Marrakech. The result booked Nigeria a place in the semifinals of the continental championship. Goals from Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams sealed the Super Eagles’ progression, but the aftermath of the encounter has been dominated by controversy surrounding decisions made by the match referee, Senegalese official Issa Sy.
In the wake of the defeat, the FAF confirmed on Monday that it had submitted an official petition to both the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The complaint centres on a series of officiating decisions which Algeria describes as “deeply troubling” and which, they argue, raised serious questions about the fairness of the match.
At the heart of the petition is a disputed penalty call. Algerian officials maintain that referee Issa Sy wrongly dismissed a first-half handball in the Nigerian penalty area and that a review was not adequately pursued. Additional grievances include what the FAF labelled questionable bookings against Algerian players and perceived inconsistent application of rules throughout the match.
Algeria’s statement went beyond the match itself. The federation also criticised aspects of the referee’s conduct after the final whistle, including a refusal to shake hands with some players, and alleged provocations by opposing players. A request for a full investigation and appropriate action under existing regulations accompanied the official filing to CAF and FIFA.
The petition was publicised through the official communication channels of the Algerian national team and followed visible on-field confrontations after the final whistle, when several members of the Algerian team protested directly to match officials. Video footage circulated online showed heightened tensions between players, officials, and in some cases, security personnel.
In response to the events, CAF confirmed it had received match reports and video evidence and referred the matter to its Disciplinary Board for examination. CAF described the confrontations involving officials and members of the Algerian delegation as “unacceptable” behaviour under competition regulations and announced it would consider appropriate disciplinary measures once its review is complete.
CAF’s investigation runs in parallel with the federation’s request to FIFA, whose regulatory mandate covers the global governance of referees and competition integrity. In practice, FIFA may support, affirm, or defer to CAF’s findings, or in rare cases launch an independent review, depending on the scope of the complaint and existing jurisdictional agreements between CAF and FIFA.
Samuel Aina