CS Sfaxien Threatens Withdrawal Over Referee Controversy in Tunisia’s Pro League
9 February 2026
What happened
CS Sfaxien sparked a major crisis in the Tunisian Premier League by officially threatening to withdraw from the competition entirely, in protest of what they call a refereeing scandal in the 1-1 draw with Club Africain in round 20.
In a sharply worded statement, the club demanded the immediate release of recordings from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room, accusing the officiating crew of violating global protocol and undermining fairness.
The statement highlighted a late equalizer by Club Africain that the club says came from an offside position that the VAR ignored on purpose, constituting a direct manipulation of the result.
Sfaxien added that it would not stay silent, warning that if the requested audio and video recordings are not handed over, the case will be raised to higher authorities: the Tunisian Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and every legal and sporting channel necessary to protect its rights.
The escalation comes as Sfaxien sits fourth in the standings on 36 points, amid mounting public pressure to defend the team's right to a fair match against what many call recurring refereeing wrongs.
Punchline: If this keeps up, even the VAR might start asking for a vacation after replays are exhausting.
Punchline: And if goals keep going offside, maybe the league should start charging admission for the replays the crowd gets to watch a football movie twice.
