France's Le Monde Reveals CAF Pressure in AFCON Final: 'Senegal Players Spared Red Cards Against Morocco'

The French newspaper Le Monde has revealed striking details surrounding the controversy that engulfed the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between Morocco and Senegal, played on 18 January on the pitch of the Prince Moulay Abdellah complex in the capital, Rabat.

The newspaper pointed to a memo submitted by Tarik Najem, general secretary of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, to the meeting of the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 13 February. The memo contained information indicating that the match referee had been subjected to institutional pressure not to punish the Senegal national team's players during the stoppage in play, which prevented the possible sending-off of two players who had each been booked at that moment.

According to the report, Olivier Savary, head of CAF's referees' committee, admitted that institutional instructions issued by CAF were intended to avoid escalating the situation and to ensure the match was completed despite the protests inside the stadium. This revelation only intensifies the controversy surrounding a match that witnessed considerable tension over contentious refereeing decisions.

This case sheds light on the pressure CAF applies during the critical moments of major matches and raises questions about the impartiality of refereeing decisions and their impact on how finals unfold.