Nigerian football fans have criticised Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea over what they described as biased and poor officiating during the Super Eagles’ semi-final loss to Morocco on Wednesday night.
Nigeria were eliminated 4–2 on penalties after a goalless draw through regulation time and extra time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi had their spot-kicks saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Statistics from the match showed that Nigeria committed 29 fouls compared to Morocco’s 19. However, the Super Eagles received two yellow cards, while the hosts went through the entire contest without a single booking—fueling accusations of one-sided refereeing.
Many fans linked their frustration to the longstanding Nigeria–Ghana rivalry, suggesting the referee may have been influenced by national sentiments in addition to home advantage.
At a viewing centre in Lagos State, where the match was watched by supporters, several fans voiced anger over Laryea’s decisions.
“Obviously, he was biased,” said Olakunle Okunbanjo. “We all expect some home advantage, but this went beyond that. There were too many wrong calls. And being Ghanaian, given our rivalry, people expected this.”
Bernard Daniel also criticised the officiating, saying, “There were too many poor decisions against Nigeria, maybe because Morocco were the hosts. Even in extra time, the commentators were confused about some of the calls, especially the corner kick that was ruled a goal kick during the Victor Osimhen incident.”
Each contentious decision against Nigeria drew loud reactions from fans at the viewing centre.
On social media platform X, supporters also vented their anger. One user, Roweazy Zetarium, posted a photo of the referee with the caption, “The worst referee in AFCON 26.” Another user, @Just__Oby, wrote, “God punish that referee, but before God, men go first punish am!”
Abimbola Oyediran claimed the referee was biased in decisions involving Ademola Lookman and other attackers, while another fan, @machinche_250, acknowledged Morocco’s superiority but still criticised the officiating, describing the referee’s calls as “very useless.”
Others questioned how Morocco escaped the match without a single yellow card. One user, @ade_mummy, wrote, “At some point I was asking my husband whether it is possible for a referee not to have any cards on him.”
Particular outrage was directed at the yellow card shown to Calvin Bassey, which will rule him out of Nigeria’s third-place playoff match. A fan, Ìléríolúwa (@Ilerioluwakiye_), questioned the decision, saying, “How do you give a yellow card to someone whose shirt was pulled? I still don’t understand.”
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) appointed Laryea to officiate the high-profile encounter, marking his second match of the tournament. His previous appearance at the finals came in the group stage, when he handled Burkina Faso’s 1–0 loss to Algeria.
The 38-year-old FIFA-listed referee, who has been on FIFA’s international list since 2014, was assisted by Zakhele Siwela of South Africa and Souru Phatsoane of Lesotho, with Arsenio Maringule of Mozambique serving as the second assistant referee. Samuel Uwikunda acted as the fourth official.
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 is a regular official in the Ghana Premier League and has previously officiated at major competitions, including the African Nations Championship, AFCON and the CAF Women’s Champions League.