Daniel Laryea officiated the semifinal between Nigeria and Morocco
Amid controversy over referee Daniel Laryea’s performance during Morocco’s win over Nigeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Ghanaians have rallied behind the official.
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, yet 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.
However, speaking to GhanaWeb TV on the Sports Debate show, most Ghanaians said Laryea’s performance was excellent and deserved applause rather than backlash.
According to them, the Ghanaian referee got most of the crucial decisions right and made fair calls, despite claims that he favored the Moroccans, particularly with the 50/50 challenges.
On a scale of 100%, the majority of football fans who spoke with GhanaWeb Sports rated the referee at 80%, while a few gave him 75%. None of them gave him a low mark.
They indicated that the complaints and backlash from Nigerians were not based on fair grounds but rather on emotions tied to the rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria.
SB/JE
