CAF open probe following Nigeria-Algeria AFCON quarter-final fallout
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has opened a formal investigation into incidents of what it described as “unacceptable behaviour” following Nigeria’s 2-0 victory over Algeria in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final on Saturday.
Nigeria booked their place in the semi-finals with a controlled performance at the Stade de Marrakech, as Victor Osimhen scored early in the second half before setting up Akor Adams to seal the win and preserve the Super Eagles’ perfect record at the tournament.
Tensions after final whistle
Despite the Super Eagles’ dominance on the pitch, the match ended amid rising tensions.
Members of the Algerian camp expressed strong displeasure with the officiating, leading to heated exchanges involving players and officials from both sides after the final whistle.
CAF confirmed that the Nigeria-Algeria encounter was not the only quarter-final under review.
The governing body also flagged incidents from the Morocco versus Cameroon clash, which ended 2-0 in favour of the hosts.
Cameroon officials were reportedly unhappy with several refereeing decisions in that game, which marked the end of their AFCON campaign.
CAF statement and disciplinary process
In an official statement released on Monday, CAF said it had already gathered match reports and video footage relating to both fixtures.
“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,” the statement read.
CAF added that the matters have been referred to its Disciplinary Board and warned that sanctions would follow if any individuals are found guilty of misconduct.
The governing body also disclosed that it is reviewing footage involving members of the media accused of misbehaviour in the mixed zone area.
“CAF strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour which occurs during matches, especially those targeting the refereeing team or match organisers,” the statement concluded.
Focus shifts to semi-finals
While the investigation runs in the background, attention now turns to the semi-finals. Nigeria will face tournament hosts Morocco on Wednesday at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, with a place in the final at stake.
Earlier that day, Senegal and Egypt will contest the first semi-final at the Grand Stade de Tanger, setting the stage for a decisive phase of the competition.
