Algiers – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has finalized its investigation into the conduct of Algerian national team players following their match against Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers. The disciplinary committee is expected to announce its decisions in the coming hours.
The investigation focused on alleged misconduct by several Algerian players after the highly contested match. The CAF disciplinary committee reportedly sought clarifications from the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) regarding the incidents.
Sources indicate that the committee held a virtual meeting with the General Secretary of the FAF to discuss the actions of players including Raïs M’Bolhi, Luca Zidane, and Adem Zorgane. These actions had previously been flagged by the committee in an initial communication to the FAF.
The FAF has expressed its concern regarding the reliance on social media videos as evidence of misconduct, arguing that such material is often inaccurate and unreliable. The Algerian federation has urged CAF to base its review on official recordings from the broadcast rights holder and surveillance cameras at the Grand Stade de Marrakech to ensure a fair and objective assessment.
In its response to the allegations, the FAF also highlighted the provocations allegedly experienced by the players from the match officials. These included the referee’s refusal to shake hands with the players after the match and the alleged use of racist language by an assistant referee towards Anis Hadj Moussa.
While the exact nature of the potential sanctions remains unclear, sources suggest that they could be limited to financial penalties. However, the FAF is prepared to appeal to CAF or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) should more severe penalties be imposed on Algerian players. DZWatch will continue to provide updates as this story develops.
