Once again, the image was tarnished. The evening of April 19, 2026 at the El Massira stadium in Safi will remain as a new snub for the African Football Confederation. While OC Safi and USM Alger were about to compete for a place in the final of the Confederation Cup, the field was overwhelmed by dozens of fans even before kick-off.
Violence that has become recurrent
If the meeting was finally able to come to an end after eighty minutes of an unbreathable wait, the damage is done. The image of continental football unable to guarantee the safety of its players and the integrity of its most prestigious competitions resurfaces at the worst possible moment.
This new episode of tension is part of a black series that seems to accelerate over the seasons. Just a few months ago, the stadium of Diamniadio, yet a jewel of Senegalese infrastructure, sank into violence during the opposition between the Jaraaf and USM Algiers. Shots of projectiles, use of tear gas by the police and attacks on staff members had already sounded the alarm.
Further north, the duels between Egyptian and Moroccan clubs, such as the recent confrontations between Pyramids FC and AS FAR, are now taking place under a tight ceiling, where the pressure on officials and the hostility at the stands go well beyond the sporting context.
Political disputes in the world of sport
For the body led by Patrice Motsepe, the Safi - USMA case is particularly hot because it rekindles the embers of the so-called "swimsuit" affair that poisoned the semi-finals between USM Alger and RS Berkane in 2024. This deleterious climate, fueled by geopolitical rivalries between the two countries, places CAF before a historical responsibility.
Financial fines, often perceived as mere passage fees by the continent’s major clubs, are no longer enough to deter mistreatment, and fans know it. The repetition of these incidents rather suggests a structural failure of the security chain and an impunity that encourages recidivism.
Hit hard or remain a weak body
The issue now goes beyond the mere disciplinary framework. At a time when Africa is seeking to reassure its international partners and attract more investors to its professional leagues, the persistence of such scenes of chaos is a major deterrent. CAF can no longer be satisfied with convictions via communiqués or suspended stadium and fans. To make a statement and protect the players, she will have to hit hard. Sanctions of unprecedented severity, ranging from exclusion from competitions to multi-year lock-ups, are now on the table of disciplinary committees in Cairo.
African football is at a crossroads. Between an undeniable technical rise of its competitions and chronic security instability, the border is becoming increasingly porous. If the CAF fails to restore the authority of the rule and the serenity of the courts, the playground risks becoming, season after season, the theater of confrontations that sport will no longer be able to contain. The upcoming final between USM Alger and Zamalek will be, in this regard, a full-scale security test under high surveillance.
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À propos de l'auteur
Philemon MBALE
Rédacteur sportif
Passionné de sport depuis toujours, partage avec vous les dernières actualités et analyses du monde sportif.