AFCON 2025: Ghanaian Referee Laryea Breaks Silence After Nigeria–Morocco Officiating Backlash
Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea has responded to the wave of criticism that followed his performance in Wednesday night’s AFCON 2025 semi-final between Nigeria and hosts Morocco in Rabat.
The highly charged encounter ended goalless after 90 minutes and extra time, before Morocco edged the Super Eagles 4–2 on penalties to book a place in the final.
Laryea, however, became a central talking point after the match, with many Nigerian fans accusing him of biased officiating in favour of the hosts. One of the most debated moments was his decision to caution Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey, a yellow card that would have ruled the Fulham man out of the final had Nigeria progressed.
Super Eagles players Akor Adams and Bright Osayi-Samuel were also vocal in their frustration after the match, with Osayi-Samuel branding the referee’s performance “appalling.”
Addressing the criticism in an interview on Sporty TV, Laryea played down the backlash, saying:
“No, it’s okay. It’s football.”
The criticism has not been limited to Nigerian fans alone. Earlier in the tournament, following Algeria’s round-of-16 defeat to Nigeria, the Algerian Football Federation reportedly submitted official complaints to CAF and FIFA over what they described as poor officiating during the match.