2026 World Cup (Q): Central African Republic lodge complaint over refereeing in Ghana defeat
After their defeat to Ghana in 2026 World Cup qualifying, the Central African Republic have decided to lodge a complaint over the refereeing.
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"We are tired of being robbed by referees. " Speaking to Sport News Africa, Célestin Yanindji, president of the Central African Football Federation, made no attempt to hide his exasperation. "Once again, in Ghana, we were beaten by the referees." The comments reflect mounting frustration after several contentious decisions against the Fauves in important matches in recent years.
Read more on this topic: 2026 World Cup (Q): results from matchday 4
An official letter, accompanied by a video clip highlighting refereeing errors (including a penalty not awarded despite a reckless tackle by a Ghanaian defender), was sent to FIFA's director of competitions. Among the incidents cited, the FCF drew attention to two in particular:
- A penalty awarded for a foul the Central African defender did not commit, which led to a goal;
- A Central African goal disallowed without any offside;
The disallowed goal, scored by Karl Namganda, led the referee to book him, and the yellow card means a suspension for the next match. The federation has therefore called for "the unjustified sanction to be lifted" and for the referee, Ahmed Abdulrazak, to be suspended, "for having distorted the result of the match".
As a reminder, the Fauves lost 4-3 in Ghana despite a hat-trick from their striker, Louis Mafouta.