Refereeing Scandal and Public Outrage in the Tunisia vs. Mali Match

The match between Tunisia and Mali in Group Six of the Africa Cup of Nations witnessed a refereeing farce on Wednesday. Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe ended the match at the 85th minute instead of the 90th, only to reverse his decision and resume the remaining minutes. However, the referee repeated his act, concluding the game in the 89th minute, triggering an outburst of anger among the Tunisian players and coaching staff. Mali was leading with a score of 1-0, following a penalty goal by Ibrahima Koné in the 48th minute. Wahbi Khazri failed to equalize for Tunisia from another penalty in the 77th minute. After the referee's decision to end the match prematurely, it was expected that he and the players would return to complete the remaining time, but that did not happen. Reports indicated that Tunisia filed a protest with the Confederation of African Football, demanding a replay of the match.