Mali Set to Protest Ghana Win: FIFA Rules, Laws and Likely Outcomes Explained
- Alexander Djiku once again proved his big-game temperament by scoring the decisive header from a Jordan Ayew corner
- Mali are reportedly considering lodging a formal complaint with FIFA, claiming that their player was impeded in the build-up
- FIFA’s Disciplinary Code and competition regulations clarify routine referee decisions, including fouls and goals
Mali are reportedly considering lodging a formal complaint with FIFA following their 1-0 defeat to Ghana in Monday’s World Cup qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The match was decided by a single goal from Alexander Djiku, who converted a corner delivered by Jordan Ayew.
Source: Twitter
While the Black Stars celebrated a crucial victory, Mali are claiming that the goal should not have stood, alleging that their goalkeeper was unfairly impeded in the build-up.
According to a pro-Malian football account on X, Nation Foot Mali, the West African side are claiming that the Ghanaian players pushed and shoved the goalkeeper before heading the ball into the net.
Should Mali submit a formal protest, they are likely to cite the IFAB Laws of the Game, specifically Law 12, which covers fouls and misconduct. This law protects goalkeepers from being charged or impeded unfairly, and any infringement should be penalised by the match official.
Mali may argue that the referee’s failure to spot this foul directly impacted the outcome of the game.
Source: Twitter
Can Mali's alleged protest against Ghana succeed?
As a point of fact, FIFA’s Disciplinary Code and the Regulations governing international competitions make it clear that protests relating to refereeing decisions are generally not upheld.
Article 55 of the Disciplinary Code explicitly states that complaints about match officials’ decisions are not admissible unless there is evidence of gross misconduct or manipulation.
Similarly, Article 56 allows protests only in cases of serious procedural errors, such as the field of play not meeting regulations, ineligible players, or breaches of competition rules. Routine referee decisions, including fouls and goals, are almost always considered final.
Even if Mali proceed with the protest, the most likely outcome is that FIFA will dismiss it. Historically, the governing body has been reluctant to overturn match results based on referee judgement calls, no matter how contentious.
In some cases, FIFA may review the footage of the incident and issue a disciplinary note or sanction if a serious infringement is found, but the result on the pitch is typically upheld.
The prospect of a replay is extremely rare and would require evidence of match manipulation or gross procedural errors rather than a disputed goal.
For Ghana, the result maintains their strong position in their World Cup qualifying campaign, while Alexander Djiku’s decisive header has once again highlighted his importance to the Black Stars.
The defender, who has been a model of consistency since his debut in 2020, continues to prove his big-game temperament.
His contribution secured the three points and also boosted his profile ahead of a high-profile move to Spartak Moscow, which was confirmed shortly after the match.
While Mali weigh their options, it remains clear that protests based on referee decisions carry little weight in FIFA’s adjudication process. The West African side would need overwhelming evidence of a serious breach of the Laws of the Game to see any change in the result.
For now, Ghana can savour a hard-fought victory and the continued rise of one of their most reliable defenders, with Djiku’s heroics dominating headlines and bolstering their World Cup ambitions.
Mali to contest Ghana's win at FIFA
YEN.com.gh earlier reported extensively on the reported plan of the Mali Football Federation to protest Ghana's victory at FIFA.
The crucial win lifted Ghana three points ahead of Madagascar at the top of Group I, taking them to 19 points after eight matches.
Source: YEN.com.gh
