AFCON 2025: widely criticized, the referee for the Nigeria-Morocco match breaks his silence.
Targeted by strong criticism after the Morocco–Nigeria semi-final, the Ghanaian referee, Daniel Nii Laryea, stands by his decisions and says he won’t let the controversy affect him.
The Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea displayed total calm in the face of the criticisms aimed at his performance after Nigeria were eliminated by Morocco on penalties (0-0, 4-2 on penalties), Wednesday night in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 semi-final.
After 120 minutes without a goal, the match went to the dreaded shootout. But Laryea’s officiating quickly crystallized the debates, especially on social media, where many Nigerian supporters and observers accused him of leaning in favor of the Atlas Lions.
Among the most contested decisions is the sanction imposed on Calvin Bassey, signaling the end of the tournament for the Super Eagles’ defender. Nigerian internationals Akor Adams and Bright Osayi-Samuel did not hesitate to publicly express their displeasure at the end of the match. Asked about the controversy, Daniel Nii Laryea brushed off the criticisms with a wave of the hand on Sporty TV: No, it’s fine. This is football.
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