The rumor had been rising for several hours. It is now information. The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) officially requested this Thursday at FIFA to replay his play-off second leg for the World Cuplost in the last seconds by the Fennecs against in CameroonTuesday in Blida (1-2 after extra time).
In a press release published on its website, the FAF indicates that it has introduced this appeal “against the scandalous arbitration which distorted the result” of this meeting. The defeat precipitated the elimination of Algeria, yet victorious in the first leg (0-1)and qualified Cameroon for the next World Cup in Qatar.
An investigation demanded on the arbitration
“The FAF is determined to use all the legally permitted avenues to have its rights restored and to replay the match under conditions guaranteeing the honesty and partiality of the arbitration”, continues the text. “The FAF also requests the opening of an investigation by FIFA bodies to shed full light on the refereeing of the match. »
Since the final whistle, many Algerian fans have been protesting on social networks against the decisions of Gambian referee Bakary Gassama, guilty in their eyes of having favored the Indomitable Lions.
A futile step
However, this appeal is unlikely to be heard, according to the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which oversees the regulations. According to IFAB Law 5 (Paragraph 2), “the decisions of the referee on facts in relation to the game are final, including the validation of a goal and the result of the match”. Moreover, according to the same source “the decisions of the referee and all other match officials must always be respected”.