Heavy Sanctions Imposed on Algerian National Team: Zidane and Belkhili Suspended, Federation Fined $100,000
The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) announced today, Wednesday, that it has received the sanctions issued by the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) Disciplinary Committee. These penalties stem from incidents that occurred during the match between Algeria and Nigeria on January 10, 2026, which was a quarter-final fixture of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Disciplinary Committee ruled to suspend goalkeeper Luca Zidane for two matches, to be served during the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Defender Rafik Belkhili received a four-match suspension, with two of those matches suspended, and the full penalty will also apply during the same qualifiers.
In the same context, CAF imposed a fine of $5,000 on the Algerian Football Federation for improper conduct, following five players receiving yellow cards during the match, which violates Article 130 (a) of CAF's Disciplinary Code.
The FAF was also fined an additional $25,000 due to the inappropriate behavior of some players and officials after the match, which was deemed detrimental to the image of the game, in violation of Articles 82 and 83 of the Disciplinary Code.
The sanctions also included financial penalties related to fan behavior: a $5,000 fine for the use of flares, another $5,000 for throwing projectiles, and an additional $10,000 fine for failing to respect security procedures after some supporters attempted to breach security barriers.
Furthermore, the Disciplinary Committee levied a substantial fine of $50,000 because some Algerian national team fans made offensive and insulting gestures towards the match officials by displaying banknotes.
The Algerian Football Federation concluded its statement by affirming its immediate initiation of the appeal process, in accordance with applicable regulations. The FAF emphasized its close monitoring of the case's developments to defend the interests of Algerian football, while fully respecting regulatory and institutional procedures.
