The FIFA has handed down a significant punishment to referee Jean-Jacques Ndala, stripping him of a key opportunity following the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) final between Senegal and Morocco on January 19. Though the African Football Confederation (CAF) had retained him for subsequent high-profile matches, such as the African Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, the global football governing body decided otherwise.
Out of the seven African referees selected for this year’s FIFA World Cup, Ndala was notably absent. His peers, including Morocco‘s Jalal Jayed, Algeria‘s Mustapha Ghorbal, Gabon‘s Pierre Atcho, Mauritania‘s Dahane Beida, South Africa‘s Tom Abongile, Egypt‘s Amin Mohamed, and Somalia‘s Omar Artan, all made the cut after officiating at the recent CAN.
Controversial decisions spark FIFA action
The exclusion of Ndala comes after widespread criticism of his performance in the CAN final. Observers and analysts widely condemned his handling of key moments, citing questionable calls and a lack of decisive action during critical incidents.
According to Olivier Safari, chair of the CAF Referees’ Committee, instructions were given to Ndala during a halftime interruption to avoid issuing yellow cards to Senegalese players who had already been booked. This decision was reportedly made “to preserve the match” upon their return to the field. The move, however, drew sharp scrutiny and appears to have influenced the FIFA’s final call.