AFCON referee who ended sport early twice in enormous controversy and what he is doing now
The official caused a stir at the tournament back in 2022 with his on-field antics resulting in huge controversy
Janny Sikazwe caused a stir with his on-field calls(Image: 2022 Anadolu Agency)
The referee behind one of the Africa Cup of Nation’s most unforgettable incidents has since hung up his whistle, but his peculiar conduct in a 2022 match will be remembered for years to come. Zambian official Janny Sikazwe found himself at the heart of an unusual episode when he prematurely ended a game not once, but twice.
He later stated that he could have lost his life had he not called time on the game early. The 2026 edition of AFCON is set to conclude this weekend, with the third and fourth place play-off scheduled for Saturday, followed by the final on Sunday.
However, it was the Group F match in Limbe, Cameroon four years ago, during the 2021 tournament which was held in early 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, that ended in controversy thanks to Sikazwe’s odd decision-making.
Pandemonium broke out during the group fixture between Mali and Tunisia. Security personnel even had to dash onto the pitch to shield the referee after he made a series of errors during Mali’s 1-0 victory.
Sikazwe awarded two contentious penalties and a dubious red card during the match. However, his decision to call full time at just 85 minutes sent Tunisian officials into a fury.
Sikazwe then resumed the game, only to blow the whistle again with 89 minutes and 47 seconds on the clock. Not only did he end the match early, but he also disregarded any added time, despite lengthy stoppages in the second half for drinks breaks, multiple substitutions and extensive VAR checks.
In a strange turn of events, tournament organisers insisted on the match being played to its conclusion just 20 minutes later. However, Tunisia’s players had other plans and did not return to the field, resulting in Mali being declared the winners.
Sikazwe later defended his decision, stating that he could have suffered from heatstroke and therefore ended the game early.
“I have seen people going for duties outside the country and come back in a casket,” he said. “I was very close to coming back like that. I was lucky I didn’t go into a coma. It would have been a very different story. The doctors told me my body was not cooling down.
“It would have been just a little time before [I would have gone] into a coma, and that would have been the end. I think God told me to end the match. He saved me.”
Upon his return to Zambia, he told local media: “The weather was so hot, and the humidity was about 85 per cent.” Discussing his decision to end the game, he said: “I started getting confused. I could not hear anybody.
“I reached the point where I could start hearing some noise and I thought someone was communicating with me and people were telling me ‘no you ended the match’. It was a very strange situation.”
The day after the match, Sikazwe underwent heart, blood and physical tests at the hospital, but all results came back normal. Sikazwe previously found himself in hot water during the 2016 Club World Cup Final between Real Madrid and Kashima Antlers, when he failed to show former Madrid ace Sergio Ramos the red card despite booking him twice.
Further controversy followed Sikazwe when he was temporarily benched on suspicion of corruption after his refereeing in an African Champions League match between Esperance and Primiero Agosto raised eyebrows. The suspension was issued by CAF in November 2018 but FIFA lifted it three months later.
Now retired from refereeing, Sikazwe has recently taken up a role as the Confederation of African Football technical instructor. In his final game between the Napsa Stars and the Red Arrows in the Zambian Super League he received a guard of honour from both teams and a standing ovation.
