CAF Defends Itself Amid Refereeing Controversy After Tunisia-Equatorial Guinea Clash
Seechurn Rajindraparsad, the Mauritian referee at the center of the controversial Equatorial Guinea–Tunisia quarter-final at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, has now been suspended for six months and removed from CAF’s Elite A list of referees. However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) insists there was no conspiracy behind the poor officiating.
Anjorin Moucharafou, president of CAF’s Media Commission, strongly rejected accusations that CAF or its president, Issa Hayatou, had manipulated the match outcome:
“There are things left unsaid behind it. That Equatorial Guinea benefits from a penalty, that we contest it, it can happen. The referee is human and he can make mistakes. But let us not attribute this error to President Hayatou just to tarnish the image of African football,” said Moucharafou.
He also revealed that a sworn commission would soon be set up to fully investigate the case and provide further clarity regarding Seechurn’s decisions.
The match in question saw Equatorial Guinea awarded a controversial penalty in stoppage time, allowing them to level the score before eventually eliminating Tunisia 2-1 in extra time. The decision sparked outrage across the footballing world, particularly in Tunisia, whose federation has since refused to apologize, risking further sanctions from CAF.
CAF’s disciplinary decisions continue to make waves as the tournament enters its final stages, with refereeing under intense scrutiny for the remainder of the competition.
