The Moroccan Football Federation FRMF has submitted an official complaint to the Confederation of African Football CAF over what it described as refereeing injustices during the final match of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations WAFCON, which ended in a 3-2 win for Nigeria’s Super Falcons
Controversy Over Reversed Penalty Decision
According to reports by Morocco World News, the FRMF’s protest centers on a key incident in the 82nd minute when the game was tied at 2-2. Moroccan players and officials believed they were denied a clear penalty after what they saw as a handball by Nigerian defender Tosin Demehin. The referee initially awarded the penalty but reversed the decision after consulting the Video Assistant Referee VAR, triggering outrage from Morocco’s bench and players
The Moroccan federation argues that the reversal disrupted the balance of the game and swung the momentum in Nigeria’s favour, ultimately paving the way for the Super Falcons’ late winning goal
Reactions from Both Camps
Morocco’s head coach Jorge Vilda, who led Spain to a FIFA Women’s World Cup triumph in 2023, did not hide his disappointment over the outcome of the final
“It was a small detail that cost us the game”
Fatigue also affected our performance in the second half
On the other side, Nigeria’s head coach Justine Madugu acknowledged Morocco’s strong performance but credited his team’s comeback to critical changes made during the interval
“The players who came off the bench made the difference”
Morocco have a promising future.
A Final of Two Halves
The match took place at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat and saw Morocco race to a commanding 2-0 lead in the first half. But Nigeria fought back with a dominant second-half performance, scoring through Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi, and substitute Jennifer Echegini to complete a stunning turnaround and secure the win
Records and Reversals
The victory handed Nigeria a record-extending 10th WAFCON title. For Morocco, the loss made them the first host nation to fall in back-to-back WAFCON finals, a blow to their impressive run in the tournament
In the third-place match, Ghana’s Black Queens defeated South Africa’s Banyana Banyana on penalties after the game ended 1-1 in regulation time
Looking Ahead to AFCON 2025
Next up for Morocco is hosting duties for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON. The tournament will bring the continent’s top male footballing talent back to Morocco for the first time since 1988, when Cameroon edged Nigeria 1-0 in the final. Expectations are high as Morocco prepares to showcase its readiness on the continental stage once again
