AFCON 2025: Nigeria miss final after loss to Morocco, raise concerns over officiating
Nigeria’s Super Eagles saw their quest for a place in the final of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 come to an end on Wednesday night after a defeat to hosts Morocco, a result that sparked strong reactions from the Nigerian camp over the performance of the match officials.
The tightly contested semi-final, played under intense atmosphere and expectation, saw Morocco edge Nigeria on penalties (4-2), after the game ended 0-0 in regulation time, to secure a spot in Sunday’s final.
While the hosts celebrated another historic step on home soil, the Super Eagles were left frustrated, pointing to what they described as biased officiating by the Ghanaian referee, Daniel Laryea, who was in charge of the encounter.
Several Nigerian players and officials expressed dissatisfaction with key decisions taken during the match, claiming they went consistently in Morocco’s favour.
Moments involving fouls, bookings and appeals inside the penalty area were cited as pivotal incidents that, in their view, disrupted Nigeria’s rhythm and influenced the outcome.
Speaking after the match, members of the Nigerian delegation stopped short of accusing the referee of deliberate wrongdoing but insisted that the standard of officiating fell short of what is expected at the semi-final stage of Africa’s biggest football tournament.
They called for greater consistency and accountability in refereeing decisions, especially in high-stakes matches involving host nations.
On the pitch, Morocco capitalised on their chances and leaned on disciplined organisation, strong defensive structure and the energy of a passionate home crowd to see off a determined Nigerian side. Despite periods of pressure and attacking intent from the Super Eagles, Morocco held firm and took the decisive moments when they mattered most.
Nigeria, runners-up at the previous AFCON edition, were left to rue missed opportunities and what they perceived as marginal calls that did not go their way.
The defeat means the Super Eagles will now shift focus to the third-place playoff against Egypt, who lost to Senegal in the other semi-final match, while also reflecting on a campaign that promised much but fell short at the final hurdle.
Morocco, meanwhile, march on to the final with momentum and belief, buoyed by home support and the chance to cap their tournament with continental glory.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is yet to issue any official response to the concerns raised by Nigeria regarding the officiating.
