Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Ayi Laryea was appointed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to officiate the AFCON 2025 semi-final match between Nigeria and Morocco — a game that directly affected Nigeria’s tournament run.
His appointment was controversial on social media before the match because Nigeria and Ghana are historic football rivals and some fans felt a Ghanaian official might be biased.
Nigeria lost 0-0 (4-2 on penalties) to host nation Morocco, ending their chance at the final.
A specific decision — a yellow card shown to Nigerian defender Calvin Bassey — was singled out by fans and analysts as critical because it led to his suspension from Nigeria’s next match.
Criticism from Nigeria’s camp
Many Nigerian fans and commentators accused Laryea of poor or biased officiating, claiming some calls went against the Super Eagles and influenced the flow of the game.
Nigeria’s defender Bright Osayi-Samuel called the referee’s performance “appalling,” though he also said it wasn’t solely why Nigeria lost.
Reports say Laryea’s Instagram account was taken down after heavy online backlash, with some Nigerians targeting it.
Some voices, including Ghanaian supporters and officials, defended Laryea’s refereeing and stressed that officiating decisions are part of football.
Laryea himself responded to the backlash by saying simply, “It’s football” and that he wasn’t bothered by criticism.
Refereeing controversies like this are not unique to Ghana vs Nigeria; when high-stakes matches involve rival nations, fans often scrutinize officials more intensely.
CAF chooses referees based on experience and qualifications, not nationality, but perceptions of bias can still arise — especially where rivalries are strong and emotions run high
