“A masquerade”, the Tunisian press wind up against the referee of Tunisia-Mali, victim of sunstroke?

“Shame”, “farce”, “masquerade”: the Tunisian press was unleashed Thursday against the Zambian referee who prematurely ended Wednesday in the match lost 1-0 by Tunisia against Mali at the African Cup of nations in Cameroon. “Masquerade”, indignant in the newspaper the weather, deploring “a ridiculous end of the match which gives the world a dull image of African football”.

CAF needs to issue a strong statement about today’s referee. There is no way you can embarrass a whole continent at such a huge stage where the whole world is watching. A proper ban needs to be on the horizon.

Totally unacceptable!#AFCON2021 #TUNMLI pic.twitter.com/0f1VYJapzM

— Kenny Mlay ???????????????? (@PapiiKennyy7) January 12, 2022

«Sikazwe, la honte»

Under the title “A start in farce” his colleague The Daily meanwhile was sorry for “a bitter defeat, a scandalous arbitration”. “Sikazwe, shame”, for its part titled The press, referring to the Zambian referee who stopped the match twice too early. “Sikazwea was catastrophic on this match-gag”. “A penalty succeeded by Mali, another missed by Khazri for this folkloric match. Sad CAN! Added the newspaper.

While estimating that Mali “deserved its victory as it was better on all levels and our selection irrelevant”, the newspaper Assabah denounces a “historical injustice and a farce on the part of the Zambian referee Sikazwe by prematurely ending in the match twice ”. “What referee Sikazwe has as against our national selection with historic sandal scandal from all points of view,” he cracked.

What sanction for Tunisia?

Referee Janny Sikazwe, victim of sunstroke according to the boss of African football referees, twice stopped the match too early, and when the fourth referee returned to the pitch to correct the mistake, only the Malians were present, the Tunisians refusing to play the final seconds of regulation time and the hypothetical additional time.

Tunisia risks a sanction for refusing to resume the match. But “the players were in the ice bath for 35 minutes” and “we are asked to come back”, protested Tunisian coach Mondher Kebaier on Wednesday. Sikazwe’s final whistle sealed Tunisia’s 1-0 defeat, after star Wahbi Khazri missed a penalty in the 77th minute that would have allowed the Carthage Eagles to equalize.