“Cannes 2025″… the worst refereeing since the founding of the competition – New Algeria

Algerian international referees believe that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals are the worst edition since the competition was established.

The decisions of some referees during the 35th edition of the African Cup of Nations undermined the credibility of African arbitration and distorted Image of African footballAccording to what was confirmed by former Algerian international referees Mohamed Benouza, Mohamed Hansal and Mohamed Amin Maknos, indicating that this edition is the worst since the founding of the competition.

In this regard, former referee Mohamed Benouza, who participated in five African Cup of Nations finals and is currently an observer of referees at the level of the Confederation of African Football, considered that “many mistakes” were committed by referees who caused harm to many teams, which negatively affected the results and led to “creating severe tension and quarrels.”

Benoza added, in statements to:Algerian News AgencyThese errors directly affected the course of the matches and the final results, raising questions about the integrity of the competition, highlighting that despite the inclusion of the “mouse” video technology, there were matters that occurred behind the scenes and resulted in decisions in favor of the organizing country.

According to the same speaker, the arbitrary arbitration decisions recorded in this edition contributed to creating a tense atmosphere during the competition, controversial situations, and a clear bias in favor of the organizing country. He pointed out that this “whirlwind” revealed the chaotic organization and raised many questions about the involvement of some officials of the organizing country and the credibility of the judging panel.

For his part, Mohamed Hansal touched on the maneuvers that took place behind the scenes during this edition, which is – as he said – the worst African competitions since its founding, due to the direct interventions of the official of the Al-Makhzen Football Authority in appointing the referees.

Hansal confirmed that Fawzi Lekjaa dominated the arbitration committee of the Confederation of African Football through suspicious practices with the aim of facilitating the mission of the host country’s national team, at the expense of the principles of fair play and the integrity of competition on the field.

“Cannes 2025”…a fake competition

He added that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is a “fake” competition that affects the integrity of the game and the image of African football, noting that some referees distorted the image of African refereeing due to serious errors that claimed the lives of many participating teams, including the Algerian national team.

For his part, Mohamed Amin Maknous, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee at the Oran Football Association level, believes that the 35th edition of this continental competition will remain negatively entrenched in the history of African football after it was “tainted by practices and maneuvers that have nothing to do with the sport.”

Maknus referred in particular to “controversial” arbitration decisions and pressure on referees, pointing the finger at several officials, including officials of the organizing country, who went beyond the sporting framework.

In conclusion, he concluded that Africans, known for their passion for football, deserve a better version of what happened at Cannes 2025, because the strength of African football, as he said, “does not lie only in its quirks, plans, and goals, but rather in its ability to embody the values ​​of justice, fairness, and integrity.”

The final session of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which took place from December 21 to January 18, witnessed many travesties and scandals that seemed to facilitate the task of the organizing country in winning the continental title after half a century of waiting. However, the crown finally came to the Senegal national team after it won the final match over its host with a score of 1-0 in a confrontation that extended into the extra half and was known for controversial refereeing decisions.