Safari Kabene faces dismissal after AFCON 2025 controversies

A succession of refereeing controversies at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is set to trigger upheaval within the Confederation of African Football, with the head of its referees’ committee reportedly facing dismissal.

The tournament has been overshadowed by disputes over officiating decisions, appointments and internal conduct, leading to mounting pressure on CAF’s leadership.

At the centre of the controversy is Olivier Safari Kabene, president of CAF’s referees’ committee.

According to reports, the governing body is preparing to remove the Congolese official from his post following a series of incidents that have drawn widespread criticism.

This edition of AFCON has been marked by repeated debates over the selection of refereeing teams for knockout matches and contentious calls made during decisive fixtures.

Matters were further inflamed by Safari Kabene’s public comments regarding the so-called towel incident, as well as revelations said to have been made during a CAF executive committee meeting.

Reports suggest that during that meeting, Safari Kabene admitted he had requested that Senegalese players not be sanctioned after their temporary withdrawal from the final against Morocco.

By doing so, he is said to have knowingly contravened regulations and allowed the match to continue despite Senegal being reduced to eight players against eleven — a situation that could have resulted in a 3-0 forfeit defeat.

The developments have intensified scrutiny of CAF’s refereeing structures and governance processes.

Safari Kabene had been appointed less than a year ago, succeeding Ivorian official Doué Noumandiez, who was dismissed last July after the Women’s AFCON held in Morocco.

If confirmed, his removal would mark another swift change at the top of CAF’s refereeing department, underlining the seriousness of the crisis.

The governing body has yet to make an official announcement, but the controversy surrounding AFCON 2025 appears certain to leave lasting repercussions within African football’s highest administrative ranks.