AFCON
As AFCON gets to knock out stage, who will pay the penalty?
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The group stage of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations is concluded. Now comes the knock-out stage which gives teams no room for errors.
As they think of taking their teams further in the competition, one thought that will obviously occupy the minds of the 16 team managers will be minimising errors.
If previous editions are any guide, there is one training practice, which will be just as decisive. It is how to strike the ball from 12 yards – the penalty kick!
A celebrated player like Riyad Mahrez could not salvage the game for defending champions, Algeria from the penalty kick spot on Thursday.
Since Didier Drogba lost a vital kick during the penalty shoot-out against Egypt in the final game of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, several other celebrated players have equally failed to convert penalty kicks.
It is a common occurrence even at the summit of world football. Great players, namely, Zico (1986), Maradona (1990), and Roberto Baggio (1994) have fumbled at what appears the cheapest goal to be scored in football. Penalties have become part and parcel of recent tournaments.
In 1990, both semi final matches were decided on spot kicks, while the final match itself was prevented from ending up the same way. Ironically, it was still decided by a penalty kick, five minutes from regulation time.
What was avoided in the 1990 final had to come four years later. Brazil out shot Italy to claim the World Cup title for a fourth time.
At France’98, the hosts had to depend on the lottery of penalty shootout to get off from an hectic quarter final duel with Italy, before eventually winning the trophy on home soil with their ‘multi- national’ squad. The 2006 World Cup final was decided by penalty shoot-out.
From the on-going, it is clear that teams must have learnt to include penalty kick taking in their training schedule. Eight of the last 16 final matches of the Africa Cup of Nations were decided on penalties.
That is apart from other knock-out stage duels that were also decided by penalty kicks. Three years ago at Egypt 2019, three of the eight Round of 16 matches were decided by penalty shoot-out.
This serves as a big lesson for any coach dreaming of advancing as penalty kicks will be the tie-breaker.
Big names in the continent – Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Ikpeba, Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba among others – have missed from the penalty spot during tie-breakers.
In Nigeria’s march to victory in 1994, penalty kicks played crucial roles. The Super Eagles had to survive the ordeal of penalty shoot-out with Cote d’Ivoire in the semi finals.
It is on record that penalty kicks played crucial roles in shaping Nigeria’s destiny in 2010, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1994, 1988 and 1984. A total of eight in Nigeria’s last 12 appearances at the finals.
This should be instructive to Austin Eguavoen to include penalty kicks in his daily training schedule.
In 1984, Nigeria survived a lengthy penalty shoot-out against Egypt in the semi final, after scoring a goal from the penalty spot during regulation time. In 1988, it was the same tale, this time against Algeria in the semi finals. A penalty kick award to Cameroon eventually decided Nigeria’s fate in the Maroc’88 final.
Apart from 2000 in Lagos when Cameroon lifted the trophy through a penalty shoot –out, loss of a penalty in the extra time against Senegal decided the Super Eagles fate in the 2002 semi finals. Nigeria again crashed out of 2004 finals via penalty shoot out!
In two of Nigeria’s three World Cup appearances, penalty kicks were largely responsible for Nigeria’s elimination.
Roberto Baggio’s conversion of penalty kick in the extra time of a Round of 16 tie enabled Italy to eliminate Nigeria from USA’94.
At 2002 World Cup, the 63rd minute penalty kick converted by Henrik Larssson for Sweden, in Nigeria’s second match, technically knocked out the Super Eagles from the World Cup.
Penalty kicks also proved decisive for other African teams in the African Nations Cup. Cameroon, Tunisia and Cote d’Ivoire lost vital matches via penalty shoot-out at 2006 African Nation Cup finals.
The keepers who saved the kicks were the heroes, while the outfield players whose kicks missed the targets were the villains. It is obvious that those dramas will once more unfold at Ghana 2008.
But who will be jumping and which player will bent double in tears? Italy’s Antonio Cabrini wrote his name into the World Cup record books as the first player to miss a penalty in the final. He looked dejected after his 25th minute spot kick went wide.
Penalty kicks, especially the shoot-outs, are made for television. They are fast, exciting while being a fairer means of tie-breaking than the toss of a coin.
But the Italians will not like to believe this after the Azzuris lost the USA’94 World Cup final through penalty shoot-out and had gone out through the same process at home in the Italia’90 World Cup semi final.
They again crashed out of France’98 through penalty kicks. But for the extra time goal with which the Koreans defeated them in 2002 in the Round of 16, one will have to go back 20 years (Mexico’86) to get the last time the Italians lost a knock-out match in the World Cup without resorting to penalties.
Their prayers were answered at Germany 2006 when they beat France in the final via penalty shoot-out. It is only ones prayer that Austin Eguavoen add penalty kick session to the training of the Super Eagles in Garoua.
Litany of penalty kicks at the Africa Cup of Nations Cup finals
- 2019 – Three matches were decided by penalty shootout. These are: Morocco vs Benin (Round of 16), Ghana vs Tunisia (Round of 16) and quarter-finals involving Cote d’Ivoire and Algeria
- 2017 – The quarter-finals of Senegal and Cameroon as well as the semi-finals of Burkina Faso and Egypt were decided by penalties.
- 2015 – Both the final match and the third place duel were decided by penalty shootout.
- 2013 – Quarter final of South Africa and Mali decided by penalties.
- 2012 – Mali vs Gabon quarter final match decided by penalty shoot-out. Also, the final match of Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire.
- 2010 – Nigeria vs Zambia quarter final match decided by penalty shoot-out.
- 2006 – Nigeria involved in penalty shoot-out in the quarter finals. Final match Egypt and Cote d’Ivoire also decided by penalties.
- 2004 – Penalty shoot-out decided Nigeria’s fate in the semi finals.
- 2002 – Penalty loss against Senegal in the semi-finals decided Nigeria’s fate. Final match of Cameroon and Senegal decided by penalties.
- 2000 – Penalty shoot-out decided Nigeria’s fate and the final match.
- 1994 – Penalty shoot-out played crucial role in Nigeria’s march to the final.
- 1992 – Penalty shoot-out decided the final match of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
- 1988 – Penalty shoot-out propelled Nigeria to the final. Penalty for Cameroon decided Nigeria’s fate in the final.
- 1986 – Penalty shoot-out decided the final match of Egypt and Cameroon.
- 1984 – Penalty shoot-out took Nigeria to the final.
- 1982 – Penalty shoot-out decided the final match of Ghana and Libya.
South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has delivered a strong critique of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following its controversial decision to strip Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco.
The ruling, delivered two months after Senegal’s 1-0 extra-time victory in Rabat, has sparked widespread backlash across the continent, with Senegal already preparing an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Reacting to the decision, Broos questioned CAF’s consistency and timing, describing the situation as unfair to Senegal.
“What I can say is CAF have shown again there is no consistency in decisions,” he said.
“It is painful for Senegal to lose the trophy. There is a rule that if you leave the pitch, you forfeit the game, and it’s done. But why don’t you [CAF] do it earlier, instead of waiting for two months?”
Broos stressed that while the rules may justify sanctions, the delayed enforcement undermines credibility.
“Sometimes, you don’t even have to wait for a complaint… the rules are there,” he added, suggesting CAF should have acted immediately after the incident rather than revisiting the outcome long after the final whistle.
He also pointed to broader inconsistencies in football governance, citing a separate case involving South Africa during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, where sanctions were applied months after the fact despite procedural timelines requiring prompt complaints.
“I have said it before that you must be consistent with decisions. It’s painful for Senegal, and they could have done it much earlier,” Broos said.
The controversy stems from Senegal’s brief walk-off during the final in protest over a penalty decision. Although the team returned to complete the match and secured victory, CAF’s Appeals Board later ruled that the action constituted a forfeiture, awarding Morocco a 3-0 win.
Meanwhile, respected journalist Osasu Obayiuwana has intensified scrutiny on the officiating of the match, alleging that Olivier Safari Kabene may have improperly influenced referee Jean-Jacques Ngambo Ndala during the game.
He questioned why no disciplinary action has been taken and why both officials remain in their positions, further fuelling concerns about governance within CAF.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe has defended the independence of the Appeals Board, even as criticism mounts over what many observers describe as an unprecedented decision in African football.
With Senegal set to challenge the ruling legally and voices like Broos calling for consistency and transparency, the AFCON title saga continues to cast a shadow over the credibility of African football administration.
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The fallout from the controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between Morocco and Senegal has taken a decisive legal turn, with sports law experts insisting that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) acted within established regulations in awarding Morocco a 3–0 default victory.
The decision followed Senegal’s temporary withdrawal from the pitch in protest against a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) ruling—an action CAF deemed a breach of competition rules.
Clear Rule, Predictable Outcome
According to media and sports lawyer Patrick Rode, the case represents a “textbook application” of football regulations rather than an arbitrary administrative decision.
Under CAF competition rules, specifically Articles 82 and 84, any team that refuses to continue play or leaves the field without the referee’s consent is automatically considered to have forfeited the match.
In such cases, the standard sanction is unequivocal: 3–0 default loss.
This principle aligns with broader FIFA disciplinary frameworks, where “refusal to play” triggers automatic consequences, leaving little room for interpretation.
Why CAF’s Decision Stands Firm
From a strictly legal standpoint, the ruling appears difficult to overturn for three key reasons:
- Clear Violation: Senegal’s act of leaving the pitch constitutes an undisputed breach of the rules.
- Mandatory Sanction: The 3–0 forfeiture is not discretionary but explicitly prescribed.
- No Legal Ambiguity: The regulations leave no grey areas for subjective interpretation.
As Rode succinctly puts it, “emotion does not equal law.”
Even if Senegal had been leading or had already celebrated victory, such contextual factors hold no weight once a fundamental rule breach is established.
CAS Appeal: Slim Chances, Strategic Arguments
Senegal’s Football Federation is expected to challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the highest authority in global sports dispute resolution.
However, CAS typically intervenes only under limited conditions, including:
- * Procedural irregularities
- * Arbitrary decision-making
- *Disproportionate sanctions
None of these thresholds appears immediately evident in this case.
That said, Senegal’s legal team may attempt to build arguments around:
- Match Continuity: If play resumed after the protest, does a full forfeiture remain proportionate?
- Officiating Responsibility: Could confusion involving the referee and VAR mitigate Senegal’s culpability?
These points could form the crux of the appeal, though they face an uphill legal battle.
Sport vs Law: An Inevitable Clash
The controversy highlights a recurring tension in modern football—where emotional, on-field realities collide with rigid regulatory frameworks.
While fans and players may view the outcome as harsh, legal systems in sport prioritise consistency and enforceability over sentiment.
With CAS proceedings expected in the coming months, the case is set to become a landmark reference in African football governance—testing not just CAF’s authority, but the balance between justice, discipline, and the spirit of the game.
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African football remains plagued by trust issues and questions over its integrity, Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe said on Wednesday after Senegal was stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title.
But he defended the decision of his organisation’s Appeal Board to award the Africa Cup of Nations title to Morocco after upholding their protest over the outcome of the January 18 final.
Senegal, who won the match 1-0 in Rabat, walked off for 14 minutes at the end of regulation time in protest of hosts Morocco being awarded a penalty, but returned to win in extra time.
While Morocco’s initial protest had been rejected by CAF’s Disciplinary Board, the same governing body’s Appeal Board found Senegal had transgressed tournament regulations by staging a walkoff and handed Morocco the title.
“I previously expressed my extreme disappointment with the incidents that took place at the final,” Motsepe said in a video statement released on Wednesday.
“It undermines the good work that CAF has done over many, many years to ensure that there’s integrity, there’s respect, there’s ethics, there’s governance, as well as the credibility of the results of our football matches.
“We are still dealing with suspicion and mistrust. It’s a legacy issue. When I became president, one of the major concerns was the impartiality, independence and the respect of referees and match commissioners, and a lot of good work has been done,” he insisted.
RESPECT AND INTEGRITY
Motsepe highlighted that both CAF’s disciplinary and appeal boards were independent bodies composed of legal practitioners selected with the assistance of member associations.
“It is important that the decisions of our Disciplinary Board and Appeals Board are viewed with respect and integrity,” he said.
“If you look at the composition of those bodies, they reflect some of the most respected lawyers and judges on the continent.
“But we will still have to deal with this perception and concerns about the integrity. It’s an ongoing issue.”
Motsepe, who was chosen as CAF president in 2021 and re-elected one year ago, said CAF was committed to fair play and denied there was any preferential treatment amid perceptions that Morocco have too much sway over the African game.
“I’m told that Senegal is going to appeal, which is very important. Every one of the 54 nations in Africa have a right to pursue appeals and we will adhere and respect the decision that’s taken at the highest level.
“A critical factor is that not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner that is more preferential, or more advantageous, or more favourable than any other country on the African continent,” the South African billionaire mining magnate added.
-Reuters
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