Nigeria’s clash with Morocco in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final on January 14, 2025, turned out to be highly controversial due to several incidents.
The officiating, fouls, and fans reactions dominated headlines across the continent as Nigeria’s quest to win their fourth AFCON title was foiled after losing to Morocco in a penalty shootout.
This article highlights the major talking points from the game:
Daniel Laryea’s Officiating
Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea’s performance during Morocco’s win over Nigeria sparked heated debate online.
Nigeria lost 4–2 on penalties after Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi’s spot-kicks were saved by Yassine Bounou, following a goalless draw after extra time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The Eagles committed 29 fouls compared to Morocco’s 19, received two yellow cards while the hosts were not cautioned once, prompting accusations of one-sided officiating.
After the game, some fans criticised Laryea for what they described as biased and poor officiating, while others defended him for his fairness.
Nigeria’s Two Shots After 120 Minutes
Despite the buzz surrounding the refereeing, the Super Eagles’ performance was also questioned by football fans and pundits, who believe the players disappointed.
Nigeria’s attack, including Ademola Lookman (3 goals + 4 assists) and Victor Osimhen (4 goals + 2 assists), failed to threaten Morocco’s defense, managing just two shots and one on target across 90 minutes plus extra time.
Meanwhile, Morocco were more dominant and attacked from all fronts, recording 16 shots with five on target. Despite failing to score, they eventually triumphed in the penalty shootout.
Calvin Bassey and Brahim Díaz’s Foul Incident
Another incident that drew attention was Fulham defender Calvin Bassey’s yellow card following his tussle with Brahim Díaz.
At one point, Bassey was holding the ball while Díaz tackled from behind and appeared to grab the Nigerian’s jersey. In the process, Bassey’s hand touched Díaz’s face, and referee Laryea deemed it a foul, booking the defender.
This decision left many Nigerian fans fuming.
Social Media Abuse
Referee Daniel Laryea was subjected to abuse as Nigerians poured out their outrage, with many joining the critics in lambasting him for what they believed was a poor performance that negatively affected the Super Eagles.
In their furious reaction, some Nigerian fans flooded Laryea’s Instagram comment section with abusive language, while others reported the account for misconduct.
To curtail the situation and avoid further escalation, the account ‘daniel.n.laryea’ was deactivated and can no longer be found when searched on Instagram.
SB/JE
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