The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dismissed Madagascar’s complaint regarding a controversial decision during their CAN 2025 qualifier against Gambia. The Malagasy Football Federation (FMF) had hoped to overturn the 1-1 result, citing a disallowed goal that could have secured victory.
Controversial Decision Sparks Complaint
The incident in question occurred on October 11, 2024, during the fifth day of qualifiers. With the score tied at 1-1, Madagascar’s Rayan Raveloson found the back of the net in stoppage time.
However, the goal was ruled out by the match referee, who judged that the ball had touched the hand of a Malagasy player before the shot.
The disallowed goal led to protests from Madagascar’s players and officials.
Despite the match ending in a draw, the FMF lodged a formal complaint with CAF, seeking to have the goal validated and the result amended in their favor.
CAF Upholds Referees’ Decision
CAF responded to the FMF’s grievance in a letter, explaining its decision to reject the complaint. The governing body stated:
“After analyzing the file and reviewing footage of the incident, the Committee concluded: In the 90+8 minute, following a free kick by Madagascar, attacker number 11 deliberately handled the ball before teammate number 10 scored.
As a result, the refereeing team correctly awarded a direct free kick to the opposing team without issuing a card for deliberate handball.”
CAF’s ruling affirmed that the final decision made during the match was accurate, despite the confusion caused by the referees’ apparent hesitation in handling the situation.
Referees Face Scrutiny
While backing the referees’ decision, CAF acknowledged the officiating team’s shortcomings in managing the incident.
The letter noted, “The hesitations of the refereeing team in making the final decision created confusion. However, this does not impact the validity of the final call.”
CAF also announced that disciplinary measures would be taken against the referees involved, signaling its dissatisfaction with their overall performance during the match.
Madagascar’s Hopes Dashed
The FMF’s appeal had raised hopes of salvaging a crucial win in the qualifiers. However, with CAF’s rejection, Madagascar will have to accept the original result.
The Barea remain focused on their campaign, despite the setback, as the race for a spot in the AFCON 2025 tournament continues.
This decision underscores the complexities of officiating in high-stakes matches and the challenges of balancing on-field decisions with post-match reviews.
