Guinea isn’t backing down after missing out on a ticket to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. With just months to go before the tournament kicks off in Morocco, the Guinean Football Federation (FGF) has taken its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), according to BSNSports.com.ng.
The dispute stems from a narrow 1-0 defeat to Tanzania on November 19, 2024—a result that left Guinea in third place in their group and out of contention. But the FGF quickly flagged a complaint, claiming the Tanzanians violated competition rules by fielding a player in an unregistered jersey number.
At the heart of the protest is defender Muhamed Ibrahim Ame, who wore jersey number 26 instead of the officially listed 24. Guinea insists this clerical discrepancy was more than a simple error—it compromised the integrity of the match and should result in a forfeiture in their favor.
CAF’s Disciplinary Board initially entertained the case but found no grounds to punish Tanzania, describing the mix-up as minor. Guinea’s subsequent appeal was also dismissed, and that decision was made public on Monday.
Unconvinced and frustrated, the FGF is now escalating the matter. The federation accuses CAF of denying it a fair process, citing procedural lapses like being barred from seeing key documents, submitting important evidence, or taking part in decisive sessions.
In its appeal to CAS, the FGF is seeking a review that adheres to the “international standards of sports justice” and could potentially reverse the earlier rulings. A verdict in Guinea’s favor would not only revive their hopes for AFCON 2025 but also set a powerful precedent for how technical oversights are treated in future qualifiers.
