The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has filed formal complaints with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following their thrilling 3-2 comeback loss to Nigeria’s Super Falcons in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final.
The Moroccan Football Federation’s complaints primarily focus on alleged “refereeing injustices” and the eligibility of two Nigerian players who competed in the recently concluded tournament.
The highly anticipated final, held in Rabat, saw Morocco take a commanding 2-0 lead in the first half before Nigeria mounted a spectacular comeback to win their 10th WAFCON championship.
However, the encounter was overshadowed by questionable officiating decisions, prompting Moroccan fans, players, and officials to dispute the outcome’s fairness.
The most acrimonious incident came in the 82nd minute, with the score tied 2-2. Moroccan media and the FRMF report that Namibian referee Antsino Twanyanyukwa initially awarded Morocco a clear penalty following an apparent handball in the box by a Nigerian defender.
However, after a lengthy VAR review, the referee controversially reversed her decision and allowed play to resume. Moroccan officials, including Hassan Boutabssil, Executive Director of Arryadia TV, claim that key VAR footage was withheld from the on-field referee or that only “blurred angles” were presented, resulting in a “refereeing scandal.” They argue that this decision had a significant impact on the match’s outcome.
The FRMF is also apparently disputing the penalty awarded to Nigeria in the 63rd minute, which set off the Super Falcons’ comeback. They contend that the handball call against Moroccan defender Nouhaila Benzina was overly harsh, implying that the ball hit her side rather than her arm.
Morocco also submitted a separate pre-match complaint with CAF, which has subsequently gained traction, disputing the eligibility of two Nigerian defenders, Ashleigh Plumptre and Michelle Alozie.
The complaint, filed hours before the final, alleges irregularities in their nationality documents. Both athletes were born outside of Nigeria but decided to represent the Super Falcons.
While FIFA previously approved Plumptre’s eligibility in 2021 based on her paternal grandfather’s Nigerian citizenship, Morocco’s protest alleges irregularities in their switch of nationality and seeks to have Nigeria stripped of the title.
