The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) spunky between Tunisia and Mali ended inwards pandemonium and disarray Wednesday. That’s after Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe blew his whistle for total time inwards the 85th minute.

The flaky and unprecedented incident at the Limbe Stadium in Republic of Cameroon sparked protests from Tunisian players, who were trailing 1-0 after a 48th narrow Ibrahima Kone penalty.

Apparently realizing his error, Sikazwe restarted the game. Then, in the 87th minute, he sent turned Mali’s Bilal Toure. It was a square ruby for a comparatively unobjectionable foul.

And then he blew the final sing again, this clip at 89 proceedings and 47 seconds.

Hell Breaks Loose

Cue tar invasion by Republic of Tunisia manager Mondher Kebaier and his expert staff, who surrounded the functionary gesturing furiously at their watches.

Kebaier said later he had expected at to the lowest degree VI transactions of added time beyond the regulation 90, after a back half that had been plagued past stoppages. There were several VAR checks, two penalties (Tunisia missed), and that unusual sending-off.

Sikazwe and his dude gibe officials were eventually escorted from the auction pitch past security for their have protection.

But the weirdness didn’t stop there. More than 20 minutes later, players were told to capture rearward on the field of view to finishing the game, this time with a different referee.

Mali players reappeared, but they were told to leave alone shortly afterwards because Tunisia was refusing to come out.

The stand-in ref so blew the final whistle, awarding Mali the win.

Kebaier said his players had been sitting inward post-game ice baths for 20 minutes and were through with the whole shitshow. He says he wants the pair to live replayed.

But Was it Match-fixing?

The argument has one time again sparked worry virtually corruption inwards international soccer.

Many fans took to societal media on Wed to conjecture that the ref had attempted to stop the game early because he had been bribed to allow Mali win, maybe by a shadowy gambling syndicate or subvert Malian officials.

Those voices grew louder when it emerged that Sizaswe was investigated and suspended by FIFA for possible putrefaction inwards 2018.

This was because of several dubious decisions inward an African Champions League check betwixt Esperance and Primiero Agosto. But he was finally exonerated, and the suspension system was lifted ternion months later.

And inward this case, the corruption theory doesn’t really heap up.

Breaking it Down

For a start, at that place are subtler ways for referees to work association football games than past finishing them cinque proceedings early, a tactics that’s guaranteed to grab headlines worldwide.

And if the kettle of fish was inward for Mali to win the game, why did Sikazwe grant Tunisia a penalty and get off Toure off?

That cherry-red identity card was dubious. But if it had been pre-ordered by a gaming syndicate, wherefore did it come in after Sikazwe had ab initio tried to remainder the mettlesome with no sendings-off?

And if the ii penalties were pre-arranged, why did the umpire initially not grant them, only to convert his intellect after intervention from the picture assistant referee (VAR)?

Many questions. But in this case, the prescribed explanation appears to live the most plausible.

AFCON officials said Th the referee has been treated inwards the infirmary after the gamy for suspected heat hyperpyrexia and spartan dehydration.

It seems that running around for 89 transactions and 47 seconds inward 93-degree warmth and 65 per cent humidity inwards Limbe put up get along unknown things to a man.