Football legend Thierry Henry has blamed inadequate referee education for the controversial decisions that overshadowed the recently concluded AFCON 2025.
His remarks follow the chaotic final in Rabat, where Senegal players briefly walked off the pitch during their clash with hosts Morocco after a series of disputed calls by match officials. The final incident capped a tournament that had already seen contentious officiating in Senegal’s earlier games against Nigeria, Cameroon and Comoros.
Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, Henry praised the overall organisation of the tournament, commending Morocco’s infrastructure, stadiums and hospitality. However, he criticised Senegal’s decision to leave the pitch, describing it as the wrong image for African football, even while acknowledging the players’ frustration.
Henry stressed that such moments should not define what he called a strong tournament, but insisted that repeated refereeing errors point to a deeper problem.
According to him, the issue is not individual referees but the lack of proper training and development to match the standard of the game on display. He rejected suggestions that European referees should officiate AFCON, maintaining that African competitions must be handled by African officials.
Instead, Henry called for better investment in referee education, noting that poor officiating continues to tarnish the image of the tournament. Following the final, CAF confirmed it has opened an investigation into the chaotic scenes, describing them as unacceptable and vowing to take appropriate action.