AFCON: Man Raises Concerns Over CAF’s Choice of Referee for Morocco vs Nigeria Match
- A Nigerian football fan accused CAF of favouring Morocco by appointing a referee who had previously officiated one of their matches
- The fan questioned the selection of Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea for the AFCON semi-final against Nigeria
- His comments sparked online debate, citing historical rivalry and concerns over potential bias
A Nigerian football fan has ignited an online debate by publicly criticising the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for appointing the same referee who officiated in a previous Morocco match.
The fan, identified as officialwandz on TikTok, claimed that CAF was supporting the Morocco Atlas Lions by using the 'same referee' who officiated Morocco's quarter-final against Cameroon to handle the upcoming semi-final between Nigeria and Morocco.
Source: UGC
His claims came amid the heightened tensions surrounding the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, hosted by Morocco, where allegations of favouritism toward the home team have surfaced.
AFCON: Fan questions CAF on referee appointment
This referee in question is the Ghanaian Daniel Nii Laryea.
According to the reports, Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea was assigned to officiate the AFCON semi-final clash between the Super Eagles and host nation Morocco's Atlas Lions.
The match is scheduled for Wednesday night, January 14, 2026, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Daniel Nii Laryea was the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during Morocco’s tense quarter-final win against Cameroon and took charge as centre referee in the group-stage encounter between Algeria and Burkina Faso.
Source: Getty Images
Laryea will be assisted by South Africa's Zakhele Thusi Granville Siwela, Lesotho's Souru Phatsoane, and Mozambique's Arsenio Chadreque Maringule, with South Africa's Abongile Tom handling Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties.
Reacting to his appointment in the upcoming Nigeria vs Morocco semi-final match, one Nigerian football fan expressed his disbelief.
He described the decision as suspicious, pointing out that selecting an official from a rival nation for such a critical match is highly unusual.
"Yo, this AFCON is getting out of hand. I could not believe what I'm reading right now," he said.
He also added:
"Out of all 54 countries in Africa, all the options of referees that these guys could choose... the referee that they chose is from Ghana."
While accusing the referee and CAF of potential bias, he made it clear that the historical rivalry between the two countries makes the appointment a problem.
He argued:
"With the history between Ghana and Nigeria, they know better than to have a Ghanaian referee officiating this match."
See TikTok post below:
AFCON: CAF confirms suspended Super Eagles stars
In a similar report, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has sent a message to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) about the Super Eagles' suspension list against Morocco.
According to OwnGoal Nigeria, CAF has officially notified the NFF of the suspended Super Eagles players ahead of the AFCON 2025 semi-final.
Captain Wilfred Ndidi will miss the match after picking up a yellow card against Algeria, having also picked up a booking in the Round of 16 win over Mozambique.
The captain also picked up a knock in the match, but allayed fans' fears and said he will be ready for the final if Nigeria beats Morocco.
Parrot predicts AFCON semi-final winner
Legit.ng had earlier reported that a parrot trended on social media days after it predicted the AFCON quarter-final match between Nigeria and Algeria.
A video of the parrot circulated on social media after it picked a team that might win the AFCON semi-final match.
The parrot predicted the winning team between Nigeria and Morocco ahead of the match scheduled for Tuesday, January 14.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
