Former Cameroon international goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell has spoken out in defence of the referee and VAR following Morocco’s AFCON 2025 final clash with Senegal, insisting that Morocco were not “favoured” and that blaming officiating decisions is an easy but misguided way to explain Senegal’s defeat.
Reacting to the intense criticism that followed the final, Bell argued that the referee became the focal point simply because of the immense pressure that comes with officiating a continental showpiece.
The former Marseille, Bordeaux and Saint-Étienne star, now a respected African football analyst on RFI, said the referee was the “man of the match” not for the wrong reasons, but because managing such a tense and emotionally charged encounter was as crucial as any on-field performance.
Bell’s comments challenge the dominant narrative among sections of Senegalese fans online, particularly claims that the team considered walking off the pitch because the referee was unfairly favouring Morocco.
He dismissed suggestions that Senegal had a legitimate goal disallowed, clarifying that the referee had already blown his whistle for a foul before the ball crossed the line. In Bell’s view, it was not a goal taken away, but rather a phase of play that had already been stopped.
He stressed that it is misleading to frame the incident as a goal being cancelled, noting that once the whistle is blown, the action that follows is irrelevant under the laws of the game. Bell maintained that debates should focus on whether the foul decision itself was correct, rather than drifting into accusations of bias or conspiracy in Morocco’s favour.
Addressing Senegal’s controversial walk-off, which saw players refuse to continue for more than fifteen minutes, Bell described the act as “something from another time” and completely out of place in modern football. He noted that abandoning the pitch damages the spectacle and usually leads to sanctions, regardless of the emotions involved.
However, Bell also explained why the referee refrained from immediately declaring a forfeit. As long as some Senegal players remained on the field, the official could interpret the situation as an emotional protest rather than a definitive abandonment, allowing time for tensions to cool.
Bell further emphasised that while players may react emotionally in high-stakes matches, professionalism demands an understanding that the referee holds absolute authority during a game.
While many observers felt the official struggled to meet the demands of such a high-profile final, Bell strongly disagreed, praising the referee for applying the laws without being influenced by the crowd, the headlines, or the magnitude of the occasion.
