AFCON 2025: Mali coach Tom Saintfiet hits out at officiating after Morocco stalemate

Head coach of Mali Tom Saintfiet has slammed officiating in their second Africa Cup of Nations match against Egypt.The highly competitive Group A match, held at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah on Friday, December 26, 2025 ended in a 1-1 draw.Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz opened the scoring for the Atlas Lions before the half hour mark after converting perfectly from the spot.But the Eagles managed to restore parity in the 64th-minute through Lassine Sinayoko, who converted from the spot to force the match to end in a 1-1 stalemate.However, Tom Saintfiet has expressed his displeasure about officiating after being denied another penalty in the high-stake clash.“It’s a shame the referee didn’t see the (second) handball, as it was exactly the same situation as the first penalty. But I am proud of my team.” he said.Mali has yet to record a win at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, limiting their chances of progressing to the knockout stage of the tournament.After two games, Mali has one point in Group A and will have to win their final group game to revive their hopes of making it into the knockout stage.