AFCON 2025: Morocco Coach Walid Regragui Fires Back at Nigeria, Others Over Referee Claims
- Morocco coach Walid Regragui has rejected claims of refereeing favouritism at AFCON 2025
- Opponents, including Algeria, Cameroon, and Nigeria, alleged the Atlas Lions received preferential treatment
- Regragui insists Morocco’s success is due to performance and home support, not refereeing decisions
Morocco coach Walid Regragui has firmly rejected suggestions that the host nation has been benefiting from favourable refereeing decisions at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite repeated claims from opponents, including Algeria, Cameroon, and Nigeria, Regragui insists that Morocco’s progression to the final is based purely on their performance on the pitch.
Source: Getty Images
The controversy began after Algeria’s quarterfinal exit, which led the Algerian Football Federation to lodge complaints with CAF and FIFA, citing refereeing errors, Ahram Online reports.
Cameroon and Nigeria, who were eliminated by the Atlas Lions in the Round of 16 and quarterfinal, respectively, also raised concerns over officiating, pointing to incidents that they believed unfairly favoured the hosts, forcing CAF President Patrice Motsepe to react.
Opponents accuse referees of favouring Morocco
Several matches involving Morocco sparked debate about refereeing at AFCON 2025.
In the Round of 16 clash against Cameroon, referee Dahane Beida’s decisions were heavily criticised after two potential penalties were denied.
Morocco defender Adam Masina was involved in both incidents, first catching Bryan Mbuemo’s boot after missing the ball, then making contact with Etta Eyong’s head in the penalty area.
Despite these appeals, Morocco won 2-0 and advanced to the semifinals.
Similarly, Nigeria’s semifinal against Morocco was marred by complaints from players and staff.
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According to ESPN, Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea came under fire from Victor Osimhen, Akor Adams, Moses Simon, and head coach Eric Chelle, with the Super Eagles losing 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw through extra time.
Nigerian players publicly criticised Laryea’s officiating, claiming it favoured the Atlas Lions, further fueling debate on social media and sports news outlets.
Regragui denies referee favouritism
Despite the allegations, Regragui dismissed the claims, emphasising that Morocco’s edge comes from on-field performance and the support of home fans.
“We’re the team to beat. As the team to beat, people will try to find all sorts of reasons to say Morocco has an advantage.
“The only advantage that Morocco has at this Africa Cup is playing in front of 65,000 spectators. The rest is on the field, we speak on the field.”
Regragui also highlighted that Morocco has been subject to controversial calls themselves, citing rejected penalty claims from Mali and Tanzania.
He pointed out that statistics demonstrate Morocco creates more opportunities than opponents and has not benefited from disallowed goals for other teams.
“When you want to get rid of something, you find a pretext,” he added.
Looking ahead, Morocco will face Senegal in the AFCON 2025 final on Sunday, January 18, as the Atlas Lions aim to secure their first title in decades.
Akor blames referee for Nigeria’s defeat
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria’s dream of lifting a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title came crashing down on Wednesday, January 14, in Rabat, and Super Eagles forward Akor Adams believes the reason goes beyond football.
While Nigeria failed to hit top gear on the night, questions have continued to trail the officiating, and Adams did not hide his frustration.
Source: Legit.ng
