CAF has sanctioned Algeria and fined its football federation $100,000 following misconduct during and after the AFCON 2025 clash with Nigeria
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has imposed a raft of disciplinary sanctions on Algeria and its players following misconduct during and after their Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 quarter-final clash against Nigeria.
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In a statement released on Wednesday, CAF confirmed that its Disciplinary Board met to deliberate on incidents arising from the heated encounter played on January 10, 2026, and reached several punitive decisions.
According to the ruling, Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane has been suspended for two CAF official matches for misconduct, while defender Rafik Belghali received a four-match suspension for aggressive and intimidating behaviour towards the match referee after the final whistle.
However, CAF said two of Belghali’s four-match ban have been suspended for a probationary period of one year, effective from the date of the decision.
Beyond individual sanctions, the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) was fined a total of USD 100,000 over the conduct of its players, officials and supporters.
CAF imposed a USD 5,000 fine on the FAF after the Algerian senior national team received five yellow cards during the match, in violation of Article 130(a) of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
An additional USD 25,000 fine was levied for inappropriate behaviour by Algerian players and officials at the end of the match, which CAF said brought the game into disrepute, contrary to Articles 82 and 83 of the disciplinary code.
The federation was further fined USD 5,000 for the use of smoke devices by supporters, another USD 5,000 for throwing objects onto the pitch, and USD 10,000 for failure to comply with security measures after fans attempted to breach security barriers.
The heaviest sanction was a USD 50,000 fine imposed for offensive and abusive gestures by Algerian supporters, including the display of banknotes towards match officials.
CAF confirmed that no sanctions were issued against Nigeria in relation to the match.
Tensions flared immediately after the final whistle, with the Super Eagles progressing from the tie amid protests from Algerian players and fans over refereeing decisions, particularly an alleged missed penalty claim.
Videos circulating on social media showed players confronting match officials, alongside crowd disturbances and security breaches.
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In response to the ruling, the FAF has confirmed its intention to appeal the sanctions, describing them as excessive and calling for a review of the match officiating.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
