A Nigerian social media activist, Sis Chinyere Precious, has lashed out Ghanaian referee, Daniel Nii Laryea, for what she described as bad officiating.
According to her, the referee lost control of the match and made decisions that defied logic.
She noted that the Moroccans expressed dissatisfaction with an Egyptian referee assigned to oversee their match against Cameroon in the Quarterfinals, and CAF responded by changing the referee. However, in Nigeria’s case, they opted for silence.
She placed further blame on the Super Eagles for their lackluster performance during penalty shootouts, referencing the playoffs against DR Congo where the team failed to secure a spot in the FIFA World Cup.
Below is her full statement posted on Facebook;
Let’s call this match exactly what it was: a disgrace to African football.
The Nigeria vs Morocco AFCON semi-final was a great game ruined by terrible, biased, and incompetent officiating. The Ghanaian referee completely lost control of the match and made decisions that defied logic, fairness, and the basic rules of football. Even worse, South Africa’s Abongile Tom, who was in charge of VAR, was practically non-existent. What exactly was VAR doing? Watching replays for entertainment?
This wasn’t a Sunday league game — it was an AFCON semi-final. If CAF had any shame, those officials would be suspended immediately. The Ghanaian referee should never hold a whistle again at any professional level. His level is high-school football, not continental tournaments.
What makes it even more annoying is Nigeria’s lack of aggression off the pitch. Moroccans had the audacity — and intelligence — to request a change of referee when an Egyptian referee was appointed for their quarter-final against Cameroon. They complained, CAF listened, and the referee was changed. Nigerians? Silent. Passive. Accepting nonsense. This is football politics, and Nigeria keeps losing because we refuse to fight it.
That said, let’s be honest — the Super Eagles are not blameless.
Our penalty problems are becoming a national embarrassment. How many times must penalties destroy us before we learn? It cost us against DR Congo in the World Cup playoffs, and now again on one of the biggest stages in Africa.
Samuel Chukwueze was brought on in the 120th minute specifically to help Nigeria during the penalty shootout — and he missed his penalty. That is unacceptable at this level. You don’t come on that late and fail at the one job you were introduced to do.
Between CAF’s corrupt officiating, VAR incompetence, and Nigeria’s recurring penalty weakness, this loss hurts deeply. It’s not just disappointment — it’s rage.
African football will never move forward if matches are decided by referees instead of football, and Nigeria will keep suffering if we don’t stand up, complain, and demand fairness, both on and off the pitch.
This was not just a loss — it was a painful lesson.
