Algeria escalates dispute with CAF over unresolved AFCON appeal

The Algerian Football Federation has stepped up its confrontation with the Confederation of African Football after receiving no response to an appeal lodged over sanctions linked to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Two months after submitting the appeal concerning the Algeria-Nigeria match, the federation says it has yet to receive any official reply from CAF, despite issuing several reminders.

The continued silence has prompted the governing body to adopt a more forceful position.

The Algerian Football Federation has criticised what it describes as a breach of its right to a fair hearing and is now preparing to escalate the matter through formal channels.

It intends to take the case to both the CAF Executive Committee and the General Assembly in a bid to secure the cancellation of the sanctions, which it considers unjustified.

At the centre of the dispute is the federation’s insistence that the measures imposed following the Algeria-Nigeria fixture are unfounded.

With no resolution in sight at continental level, officials are now considering further steps to challenge the decision.

If no progress is made, the FAF has indicated it is ready to refer the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an independent international body that handles sports-related disputes.

Such a move would take the issue beyond African football’s governing structures and into a global legal framework.

The potential escalation could have wider implications for relations between the Algerian federation and CAF, currently led by Patrice Motsepe.

Taking the dispute to CAS would represent a significant step, signalling a breakdown in attempts to resolve the matter internally.

For now, the situation remains unresolved, with the Algerian Football Federation awaiting a response while simultaneously preparing for possible legal proceedings.

The outcome could shape not only the fate of the sanctions in question but also the relationship between one of Africa’s leading football bodies and the continent’s governing authority.