Club Sportif Sfaxien have thrown the Tunisian Premier League into turmoil after issuing a strong warning that they could withdraw from the competition entirely following what they described as a “refereeing scandal” in their 1-1 draw against Club Africain in the 20th round of the season.
In an official statement released after the match, the Sfax-based club expressed deep frustration with the handling of key decisions, calling for the immediate release of the Video Assistant Referee recordings from the encounter.
Sfaxien accused the VAR team of breaching international technology protocols and undermining the principle of equal opportunity within the league.
Central to the club’s complaint was Club Africain’s equalising goal, which Sfaxien insist originated from a clear offside position. According to the statement, evidence confirming the offside was available, yet the VAR referee allegedly chose to ignore it.
The club labelled the decision as a “direct manipulation of the result”, warning that such actions threaten the credibility and integrity of the championship.
The statement further made it clear that the club would not accept “silence” on the matter. Sfaxien cautioned that any refusal to release the requested audio and video recordings would force them to escalate the issue to higher authorities, including the Tunisian Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The club also indicated it was prepared to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and pursue all available legal and sporting avenues to defend its interests.
This dramatic escalation comes at a sensitive moment in the season, with CS Sfaxien currently sitting fourth on the league table with 36 points.
The controversy has intensified public debate around refereeing standards in Tunisia, as growing sections of the club’s supporters demand that the “team’s right” be protected against what they believe is “repeated refereeing injustice”.
