Morocco’s Football Federation (FRMF) have formally lodged a protest with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over what they describe as “refereeing injustices” during the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final in Rabat, Footynaija.com reports.
The final, played at the Stade Olympique de Rabat, saw Nigeria win their 10th WAFCON title, but not without controversy. The Moroccan federation insists that officiating decisions in the match, particularly concerning Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviews, were unfavourable and may have influenced the final result.
Tensions peaked late in the match when Morocco appealed for a penalty in the 82nd minute. At the time, the score was 2-2, and Nigerian defender Oluwatosin Demehin was alleged to have handled the ball inside the box.
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Namibian referee Antsino Twanyanyukwa initially awarded the penalty after a brief pause in play, but later reversed her decision following a VAR review.
According to a report by Morocco World News, the FRMF submitted an official protest to CAF’s disciplinary and refereeing departments, highlighting multiple moments in the match they believe were poorly handled by officials.
In another report by ESPN, Morocco’s Spanish-born coach Jorge Vilda voiced his discontent during the post-match press conference.
“We can’t understand the decision made by the referee,” he said. “We saw there was a hand, but the referee took it off us. That’s what determined that we weren’t able to celebrate this match — the penalty that was taken away from us.”
Vilda also stressed the emotional toll the decision had on his team:
“The fact it wasn’t given as a penalty had an immediate impact on the players. It had a psychological impact that shocked us — it was a massive hit.”
The penalty awarded to Nigeria in the 63rd minute when Nouhaila Benzina was judged to have handled the ball inside the area, was also another source of grievance. Replays suggested the ball may have struck her side, not her arm, but VAR upheld the decision, and Esther Okoronkwo converted to make it 2-1.
Across Moroccan media and social platforms there have been debates. Fans and pundits have accused CAF of bias, with some calling for an internal review of officiating protocols.
CAF, as of the time of this report, has not released any official response.
