Sonko Wants Kenya vs Madagascar CHAN 2024 Rematch: What The Rules Say

The petition has sparked debate over the conditions that can justify suspending or replaying a football match, with both FIFA and CAF rules outlining the procedures clearly. Viral Tea takes a look at the circumstances in which a match can be replayed, in response to Sonko's petition:

What The Rules Say

FIFA and CAF rules on when a football match can be replayed are clear in principle but differ in detail. FIFA’s position is codified in the International Football Association Board’s Laws of the Game.

Under Law 7 on the Duration of the Match, Article 7.5, it is stated that “an abandoned match is replayed unless the competition rules or organisers determine otherwise.” This means that the default outcome for any abandoned fixture—whether due to severe weather, crowd violence, technical failure, or another major disruption—is a replay.

The final call, however, lies with the competition organisers, who may opt to resume the game from the point of interruption, award the victory to one side, or cancel the result entirely, in this case, CHAN.

Importantly, FIFA does not allow a match to be replayed simply because of poor refereeing decisions; only a misapplication of the Laws of the Game, abandonment, or proven compromise of integrity would trigger a do-over.

CAF, the Confederation of African Football, operates within this FIFA framework but has its own detailed regulations. The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Regulations, specifically Article 16.20, address cases of force majeure, including riots, political unrest, or natural disasters.

The rule directs that any match interrupted under such circumstances should be resumed at the minute where it was stopped, with the same score, the same players, and the same officials. CAF therefore prefers continuation rather than full replays, unless the disruption makes resumption impossible.

Suppose a team is found responsible for causing the abandonment. In that case, CAF has the authority to award the match to the opponent or even expel the offending side, as occurred in 2012 when Étoile du Sahel was disqualified from the CAF Champions League after crowd trouble forced an abandonment.

The CAF Disciplinary Code also makes provision for replay situations. Article 5 clarifies how cautions are treated in such cases: if a match is replayed, yellow cards issued during the abandoned game are annulled; if it is not replayed, the cards given to the team at fault remain valid.

Where both sides are culpable, all cautions stand. This approach shows that CAF links replay decisions directly to responsibility and disciplinary consequences rather than applying an automatic replay rule.

Case Studies

The 2019 CAF Champions League final between Espérance and Wydad AC remains the most high-profile case study. The second leg was abandoned after a VAR malfunction and Wydad’s refusal to continue.

CAF’s Executive Committee initially ordered that the final be replayed at a neutral venue. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport later ruled that CAF had overstepped by bypassing its own disciplinary channels. Espérance were eventually declared champions, and the match was never replayed.

The case highlighted both CAF’s willingness to order a replay in extraordinary circumstances and the legal limits on its authority.

In practice, both FIFA and CAF treat replays as exceptional remedies, not routine fixes. FIFA’s rules frame replays as the default for abandoned matches, but always subject to the competition organisers’ discretion.

CAF, meanwhile, leans toward resuming matches where possible, resorts to replays only under strict conditions, and builds disciplinary accountability into every decision. The common thread is that replays are reserved for situations where the integrity of the game is at stake, rather than for correcting human error on the pitch.