CAN 2025: Jean-Jacques Ndala, the only man nobody judged

CAN 2025: Jean-Jacques Ndala, the only man nobody judged Exclusive How can we talk about this crisis without mentioning him? CAN 2025: Jean-Jacques Ndala, the only man nobody judged The controversy surrounding CAN 2025 refuses to die down. After the Confederation of African Football's decision to strip Senegal of the title and crown Morocco by default, debate continues to rage across the continent.

Yet, in the midst of this crisis, one figure remains rarely discussed: referee Jean-Jacques Ndala. A first decision that kept everyone safe At first, CAF handled the crisis with a certain measured caution. After the incidents in the final, the disciplinary jury delivered a double-edged verdict: penalties for both Morocco and Senegal for unsportsmanlike conduct, but the match result stood.

The trophy remained Senegal's. This choice at least had the merit of consistency—punishing the actors without calling the sporting outcome into question. And most importantly, no sanction was handed down to the referee of this high-tension final.

Neither the score nor the triumph of the Lions of Teranga was questioned. Everyone could breathe easy—at least on the surface. But the story was only just beginning.