By Kazeem Ajibola Shoyebo
Former Ballon d’Or winner George Weah has raised serious concerns over CAF’s decision to overturn the AFCON 2025 final result, warning that the ruling undermines the authority of match officials and threatens the integrity of football in Africa.
Reacting to the verdict by the Confederation of African Football, Weah described the decision as damaging to the credibility of the sport, urging swift intervention from global arbitration bodies.
“This decision has further scarred and blemished African football, undermining confidence in the fairness, consistency, and integrity of football on the continent,” Weah said.
“I call on the Court of Arbitration for Sport and other relevant authorities to move decisively so that this travesty does not stand.”
Central to Weah’s argument is the principle that decisions made on the pitch should remain final, in line with football’s established rules.
“In football, the Laws of the Game are clear: the referee on the pitch is the final authority on decisions made during the match,” he stated.
“Once play is allowed to continue and the match is completed, the result obtained on the field must stand.”
Weah cited Law 5 of the Laws of the Game, which affirms the referee’s authority to enforce decisions during a match and declares those decisions final on matters of play.
The former world footballer of the year also pointed to the referee’s post-match report, which reportedly documented a temporary stoppage rather than a forfeiture, recommending disciplinary sanctions instead of altering the match result.
He argued that this distinction is critical and should have guided CAF’s decision-making process.
“There is therefore no sporting justification to nullify a match that was completed in accordance with the referee’s authority and the Laws of the Game,” Weah added.
Weah warned that the ruling could set a dangerous precedent, allowing administrative bodies to override on-field decisions after matches have concluded.
“Otherwise, the beautiful game will head down a slippery slope where committee room officials—and not match officials—will be making post-match rulings to override referees’ decisions like penalties, offside and red cards,” he cautioned.
Weah’s intervention adds to growing criticism from players, officials, and stakeholders across the football world following CAF’s decision to award the AFCON 2025 title to Morocco after ruling that Senegal forfeited the final.
With the Senegal Football Federation set to challenge the verdict at CAS, the controversy continues to intensify, raising fundamental questions about governance, fairness, and the application of football laws in Africa.