Fresh evidence has emerged from the aftermath of the controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, as new revelations suggest the decisive game may now be judged beyond the pitch.
On Tuesday, reports indicated that the case surrounding the final between Morocco and Senegal has moved from an investigation into a critical decision-making phase.
The game saw Senegalese players stage a walk off in protest after referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded a controversial penalty to Morocco in the dying minutes of regulation time.
That incident paused the game for over 18 minutes before Senegal players came back unto the pitch and the match was restarted.
Now, new evidence from the VAR recording of the referee in the Senegal and Morocco final has been brought to light, which could significantly influence the outcome of CAF’s investigation into the game.
Recording of communication between the referee and VAR officials reviewed
Per Egyptian journalist Kinan Moutaraji, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Technical Committee has now reviewed audio recordings of communications between referee Jean Jacques Ndala and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room.
The recording being reviewed is during the dramatic 18-minute stoppage that overshadowed the AFCON final in Rabat.
The referee had awarded Morocco a penalty in the 98th minute after being advised by VAR to review El Hadji Malick Diouf’s challenge on Brahim Diaz via the pitchside monitor.
However, with Senegal players deciding to walk off the pitch, the Congolese referee said something in the AFCON final that has now become contentious.
What referee Jean Jacques Ndala said during Senegal’s walk off
The revealed VAR recordings reportedly contain a critical moment from the 10th minute of stoppage time, where referee Ndala is quoted as saying:
“They’ve decided to withdraw, I’ll end the match.”
However, Ndala was allegedly instructed through his earpiece by CAF competitions committee officials to delay ending the match and wait for further developments.
Football analysts closely monitoring the situation believe this instruction could have far-reaching implications for eventual winners, Senegal.
If authenticated, the recordings may suggest that the referee had already taken a decision to end the match, raising questions about whether events that followed were conducted within the official laws of football.
