AFCON 2025: Fans slam Ghanaian referee after Super Eagles’ loss to Morocco

Nigerian football fans have faulted the performance of Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea, accusing him of bias and poor officiating during the Super Eagles’ semi-final loss to Morocco on Wednesday night.

Nigeria were eliminated from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after losing 4-2 on penalties, with Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi missing their spot-kicks as goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made decisive saves. The match ended goalless after extra time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

Statistics from the encounter showed that Nigeria committed 29 fouls against Morocco’s 19. However, the Super Eagles received two yellow cards, while the host nation finished the match without a single caution, fuelling claims of lopsided officiating.

Many fans linked their frustration to the long-standing Nigeria–Ghana rivalry, suggesting that Laryea’s nationality may have influenced his decisions, alongside the advantage enjoyed by Morocco as tournament hosts.

At a viewing centre in Lagos State, where the match was watched by fans, several supporters openly criticised the referee’s calls.

Olakunle Okunbanjo said the officiating appeared clearly tilted against Nigeria, adding that while home advantage was expected, the referee’s decisions went beyond that. He also cited the historic rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana as a factor fans had anticipated.

Another fan, Bernard Daniel, described Laryea’s decisions as consistently unfavourable to the Super Eagles, noting that even the match commentators appeared confused by some calls, including a disputed corner-kick decision involving Victor Osimhen during extra time.

The atmosphere at the viewing centre was tense, with loud reactions following each controversial decision that went against Nigeria.

On social media platform X, fans also expressed their displeasure. Some users described Laryea as the worst referee at the tournament, while others questioned how Morocco escaped the match without receiving a single yellow card.

Abimbola Oyediran criticised what he called biased calls against Ademola Lookman and other Nigerian attackers, while another fan acknowledged Morocco’s superiority but still described the officiating as poor.

Particular anger was directed at the yellow card shown to Calvin Bassey, which rules him out of the third-place playoff. Fans questioned the decision, arguing that Bassey was penalised despite being fouled in the incident that led to the booking.

Laryea, who was appointed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to officiate the high-profile clash, handled his second match of the tournament. His previous game at the finals was during the group stage, where he oversaw Burkina Faso’s 1-0 defeat to Algeria.

The 38-year-old FIFA-listed referee was assisted by Zakhele Siwela of South Africa and Souru Phatsoane of Lesotho, with Arsenio Maringule of Mozambique as the third assistant referee. Samuel Uwikunda served as the fourth official, while Video Assistant Referee duties were handled by Abongile Tom of South Africa, assisted by Haythem Guirat of Tunisia and Stephen Onyango Yiembe of Kenya.

Laryea has been a FIFA-accredited referee since 2014 and is a regular official in the Ghana Premier League, with experience officiating at the AFCON, African Nations Championship and the CAF Women’s Champions League.