The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dismissed Désiré Noumandiez Doué, its director of refereeing, following a formal protest from Morocco over officiating in Nigeria’s Super Falcons’ win in the WAFCON final. The decision came after the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) lodged a complaint, citing key officiating errors during the final held in Rabat. Morocco, the host nation, suffered a disappointing loss after surrendering a 2–0 lead to eventually fall 3–2 to Nigeria.
The Moroccan federation submitted video evidence to CAF, arguing that a penalty decision in their favour was wrongly overturned, while a controversial penalty was awarded to Nigeria. Although Doué did not officiate the match himself, he was responsible for appointing referees and maintaining officiating standards across CAF competitions.
The match was officiated by Namibia’s Antsino Twanyanyukwa, assisted by referees from Rwanda and Senegal, while Salima Mukansanga managed the VAR. Tensions escalated after Morocco’s claims of a clear penalty were denied, and frustration deepened when Nigeria were awarded what the Moroccan side called a “soft” penalty.
Morocco’s head coach, Jorge Vilda, told ESPN that video footage showed clear contact during the incident. He said the reversal of the penalty decision had a psychological impact on his team, calling it a massive setback. The final capped a dramatic tournament for both teams. Nigeria remained unbeaten and secured their tenth WAFCON title.
Morocco had taken a strong lead early in the match, with captain Ghizlane Chebbak scoring in the 12th minute and Sanaâ Mssoudy adding a second in the 24th minute. However, the Super Falcons mounted a stunning comeback. Esther Okoronkwo converted a penalty in the 64th minute, Folashade Ijamilusi equalised in the 71st, and substitute Jennifer Echegini scored the match-winner in the 88th minute.
Source : https://gazettengr.com/
