Photo Credit: Fédération Guinéenne de Football
The Fédération Guinéenne de Football (FGF) has submitted an official complaint to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regarding irregularities observed during their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Tanzania on November 19, 2024. The federation alleges violations of Article 43.5 of the CAN regulations, which govern player identification and match integrity.
The incident
In the 73rd minute of the match, a Tanzanian player wearing jersey number 26 entered the field. According to Guinea’s Football Federation, this number did not correspond to any player listed on the official match sheet. The player’s identity was further obscured by the absence of a name on the back of the jersey, rendering verification impossible.
The Guinea Football Federation argues that this constitutes a "serious irregularity" and undermines the integrity of the competition.
The CAF team sheet submitted before the match. Number 24 on Tanzania, Ibrahim Ame, checked into the match wearing jersey number 26
Claims of match official misconduct
According to the Guinea Football Federation, the Match Commissioner, Mr. Francis Oliele of Kenya, allegedly attempted to block Guinea from filing an immediate protest after the match. The federation states that Mr. Oliele instructed them to take their complaint directly to CAF instead of addressing it with him, which they claim violates CAN regulations.
The federation credits their Secretary-General and team captain for eventually persuading the Match Commissioner to accept their protest under the guidance of a CAF Competitions Division representative.
Additionally, the Guinea Football Federation expressed concerns about potential bias, highlighting that both the Match Commissioner and Security Officer were from Kenya, a country belonging to the same regional bloc (CECAFA) as Tanzania.
Guinea’s position
Guinea asserts that these events reflect significant lapses in regulatory compliance. The federation has called on CAF to investigate the alleged irregularities and ensure the fairness and integrity of the competition.
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