Caught in the Whistle: Algeria Takes Refereeing Dispute to FIFA After AFCON 2025 Exit

Refereeing Controversy in AFCON 2025 Quarterfinal

The Algerian Football Federation is preparing to file a formal complaint to FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), protesting what it says were biased refereeing decisions during the Desert Foxes' 2-0 defeat to Nigeria on Saturday in the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals (Morocco 2025).

According to Algerian press reports, the complaint will include detailed objections to several decisions taken by Senegalese referee Issa Cissé, including the denial of a penalty and other calls deemed questionable, which affected the course of the match and drew accusations of bias toward Nigeria.

The complaint will also note that the referee did not shake hands with Algerian players after the final whistle, an action that provoked widespread discontent within the Greens' delegation, alongside accusations of Nigerian players provoking their opponents.

The Algerian federation will also complain of alleged assaults on Algerian journalists and media inside the tunnel exiting the stadium.

Based on these facts, Algeria intends to request the suspension of referee Issa Cissé and his removal from officiating the rest of the tournament immediately.

Punchlines: If referees were snipers, they’d miss the target and hit the fans' patience. Also, perhaps the tunnel is under review for dramatic effect, because the drama clearly outweighed the match.