Nigerian football fans have slammed Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea for poor officiating during the Super Eagles’ semi-final defeat to hosts Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Many fans called Wednesday night’s officiating in Rabat “compromised,” citing the long-standing rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria or perceived bias against the Super Eagles to favour Morocco as the host country.
Read Also: AFCON 2025: Morocco edge Nigeria on penalties to reach final
Penalty Shootout Heartbreak for Super Eagles
For the second time in eight years, the Super Eagles were eliminated on penalties in a major competition, losing 4–2 to the Atlas Lions after a tense goalless draw that stretched into extra time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Hamza Igamane, Eliesse Ben Seghir, captain Achraf Hakimi and Youssef El-Nesyri converted their spot-kicks for Morocco.
Paul Onuachu and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru scored for Nigeria. Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi both had their penalties saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Controversy followed the match statistics, with Nigeria committing 29 fouls compared to Morocco’s 19.
Journalists and Fans React on Social Media
Nigerian journalist Pooja Media described the refereeing performance as a “dirty job,” posting on X:
“This is too obvious from the ref. Our boys need to be calm. Dirty job is being done here.”
Another media personality, @_AsiwajuLerry, wrote, “Nigeria will play against the AFCON host country in a stadium where they’ve bought all the tickets, with a referee from Ghana and a VAR from South Africa.”
Samuel Akpan (@coolestguy2891) also raised concerns, referencing Laryea’s previous appointments, “Daniel Laryea was in charge of Burkina Faso vs Algeria. He denied Burkina Faso a penalty in that game, and the captain was fined $10,000 for protesting.
“In Morocco vs Cameroon, he was in charge of VAR and didn’t call the referee to check the Mbeumo penalty call. Nigeria is in for it.”
Do2dtun Energy gAD added his voice to the criticism. “This Ghanaian referee is very biased. Too obvious. It’s so disgusting to watch.”
What Next for Nigeria
The defeat means Nigeria will now travel to Casablanca to face the Pharaohs of Egypt in the third-place match this Saturday.
Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.
