CAF Fines Algeria $100,000, Suspends Defender After AFCON 2025 Chaos
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Fatima Saif
- . January 22, 2026
- . Update: January 22, 2026 4:43 pm
CAF fines Algeria after a series of disciplinary breaches that marred the tense AFCON 2025 quarter-final clash against Nigeria. After the Super Eagles won, the post-match violence that involved players, officials, fans, and media personnel attracted an immediate reaction from the Confederation of African Football. CAF fines Algeria a total of $100,000, reinforcing its strict stance against misconduct and security violations. The ruling is a message in itself concerning discipline and the safeguarding of the integrity of African football. As CAF fines Algeria, the sanctions highlight growing efforts to curb crowd trouble and on-field indiscipline at major tournaments.
Breakdown of Sanctions and Player Suspension
CAF fines Algeria across multiple violations identified by its Disciplinary Board. The punitive measures involve fines on players, improper conduct by the officials, use of flares, object hurling, security breaches, and fan-related incidents in which some members of the media were involved. In addition, CAF fined Algeria with a major sporting sanction as defender Rafik Belghali received a four-match suspension, with two games to be served during AFCON 2027 qualifiers. CAF put its zero-tolerance policy back in place and emphasized that all member associations are to impose discipline on and off the field to prevent such incidents from happening again. Once again, CAF fines Algeria to underline accountability at the continental level.
