AFCON Referee Storm: Algeria's Legend Calls a Shocking Scandal
11 January 2026
Controversy after the Algeria-Nigeria match
Ben Sheikh, the Algerian football icon, launched a sharp attack on the refereeing after the Algeria-Nigeria match, which ended with the Green Eagles winning 2-0 on Saturday in the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals (Morocco 2025). He said what happened constitutes “a scandal touching the heart of African football.”
In televised remarks, he said: "This is a cup scandal and a disgrace to football; the team that lifts the trophy does not deserve it."
The former Algeria star hinted that Morocco will win the tournament, adding: "The team that wins this cup knows that later it cannot tell its children or grandchildren that it won it on merit, because its conscience knows it is lying."
Ben Sheikh argued that the referee deliberately disrupted the rhythm of play with random decisions, ignored VAR in crucial scenes, and allowed time-wasting with no sanction, creating fear and confusion among Algerian players who became hesitant to engage for fear of cards.
He went on: "What is happening in this tournament is not an accident but the result of explicit instructions executed literally by some referees. CAF has lost its dignity and is now run remotely; some tournaments are directed in advance."
Although he conceded Nigeria deserved the win on technical grounds, he stressed the refereeing spoiled the spirit of competition and eroded trust in African football, reiterating his belief that lifting the Africa Cup of Nations is almost impossible under these conditions.
Implications for African football
These outbursts add to the ongoing debate about refereeing standards in Africa and may stir calls for accountability ahead of future tournaments.
Whether Algeria can bounce back or not, this result leaves fans uneasy about the integrity of the competition.
Punchline 1: If referees were comedians, their final act would be the whistle—non-stop punchlines, zero extra time. Punchline 2: In Africa, even the clock adds time to the drama; call it narrat ive inflation.
