Fresh developments have emerged in the fallout of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) reportedly moving beyond the investigative phase into a decisive stage of determining the outcome of the highly controversial match.
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According to Egyptian journalist Kinan Moutaraji, the CAF Technical Committee has reviewed audio recordings capturing communication between centre referee Ndala and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room during the 18-minute stoppage that overshadowed the final.
The recordings reportedly include a pivotal statement from Ndala in the 10th minute of stoppage time, in which he allegedly said: “They’ve decided to withdraw, I’ll end the match.”
However, officials from the CAF Competitions Committee are said to have instructed the referee via earpiece to delay concluding the match, raising serious procedural and legal questions about the handling of the final moments.
Legal experts following the case believe the recordings could prove decisive if authenticated, as they may indicate that the match was effectively concluded by the referee’s own decision before subsequent events unfolded.
Sources close to the investigation suggest that CAF now faces a critical period in determining the final ruling, with the emerging evidence potentially reshaping both the narrative and the regulatory assessment of the match.
The AFCON 2025 final, already one of the most controversial in recent history, saw an unprecedented stoppage and walk-off, leaving fans, officials, and football governing bodies grappling with questions over the legality of events and the application of the laws of the game.
CAF’s decision in the coming days is expected to provide clarity on the matter, with the audio recordings likely to play a central role in resolving one of the tournament’s most debated controversies.
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