By Nworisa Michael
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has imposed a total fine of $95,000 on Algeria following a series of disciplinary breaches during and after their quarterfinal loss to Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
CAF announced the sanctions on Wednesday, citing actions by Algerian players, team officials, and supporters that it said brought the game into disrepute. The 2–0 defeat to Nigeria marked the end of Algeria’s campaign at the tournament, which was eventually won by Senegal.
According to the football body, Algeria was fined $25,000 for the inappropriate conduct of its players and officials, while an additional $5,000 was imposed over a general brawl that occurred in connection with the match.
CAF further sanctioned the Algerian Football Federation over the behaviour of supporters inside the stadium. A fine of $50,000 was issued for offensive gestures directed at match officials, alongside another $10,000 for an attempted pitch invasion and $5,000 for the use of smoke during the game.
In a separate ruling, CAF also imposed a $50,000 fine over provocations by Algerian supporters, who displayed banknotes in a manner CAF described as offensive and abusive, interpreting the act as an allegation of corruption against the football body.
Beyond financial penalties, CAF handed out suspensions to individual players. Goalkeeper Luca Zidane received a two-match ban for his involvement in a physical altercation with Nigeria’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, a sanction that will see him miss the start of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. Right-back Rafik Belghali was also banned for four matches, with two suspended, for threatening match officials.
Reacting to the decision, the Algerian Football Federation described the sanctions as unfair and confirmed its intention to appeal CAF’s rulings.
Meanwhile, CAF is also expected to deliberate on disciplinary issues arising from the AFCON final between Senegal and Morocco. Senegal briefly walked off the pitch for about 17 minutes in protest after a penalty was awarded against them, an action that drew condemnation from both CAF and world football governing body FIFA, despite Senegal later returning to complete the match and secure victory.
CAF has stated that such conduct undermines the integrity and image of African football, as it continues to enforce disciplinary standards across the tournament.