Football icon George Weah has issued a scathing critique of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), calling for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn a “travesty” of a decision that he warns could compromise the integrity of the sport across the continent. In a strongly worded statement, the former Ballon d’Or winner argued that by overriding the referee’s on-field authority regarding the Senegal vs. Morocco AFCON final, CAF has ignored the fundamental Laws of the Game and set a dangerous precedent where committee rulings supersede final whistles.
FULL STATEMENT
In football, the Laws of the Game are clear: the referee on the pitch is the final authority on decisions made during the match. Once play is allowed to continue and the match is completed, the result obtained on the field must stand.
Under the applicable rules of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), match officials have full authority during the game.
CAF regulations are in line with the FIFA Laws of the Game, which provide that:
“The referee has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed, and his decisions on facts connected with play are final.”
— Law 5, Laws of the Game (applied by all Confederations, including CAF competitions).
In the present case of the final AFCON match between Senegal and Morocco, the referee allowed the match to continue after the walk-off by Senegal, and the game was completed, including extra time, with a result obtained on the field of play.
Additionally, post-match, the referee report noted a stoppage during the match, not a forfeiture, and recommended appropriate sanctions for the infractions during the match.
For this reason, the subsequent decision by the CAF committee, taken after the match had already been concluded, should not override the authority exercised by the referee during the game in keeping with the Laws of the Game—Law 5.
Football must be decided on the pitch, not re-decided after the final whistle.
There is therefore no sporting justification to nullify a match that was completed in accordance with the referee’s authority and the Laws of the Game; otherwise, the beautiful game will head down a slippery slope where committee room officials and not match officials will be making post-match rulings to override referees’ on-field decisions like penalties, offside, and red cards.
Where will it end?
This decision has further scarred and blemished African football, undermining confidence in the fairness, consistency, and integrity of football on the continent.
I call on the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and other relevant authorities to move decisively so that this travesty does not stand.
I also want to use this opportunity to clarify that social media posts widely circulating, claiming that I support the decision by the CAF Disciplinary Committee against Senegal, are blatantly false.
All those circulating my image and attaching the same to such fallacious statements are advised to refrain.
George Manneh Weah, Sr.
Ballon D’or Winner (1995)
Three Times African Footballer of the Year (1989, 1994, 1995)
