A Ghanaian social media commentator, Bongo Ideas, has ignited fresh debate online after publicly criticising the referee who officiated the tense and highly watched match between Nigeria and host nation Morocco in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
The centre referee, Daniel Laryea, came under heavy scrutiny following the conclusion of the encounter, which ended Nigeria’s campaign and handed victory to the host country. The controversial nature of the match, coupled with the high stakes of a semi-final fixture, intensified discussions about officiating standards and perceived biases in the tournament.
Claims of biased officiating
In a Facebook post that quickly gained attention across multiple social media platforms, Bongo Ideas alleged that Daniel Laryea’s performance appeared influenced even before the match began, suggesting that the referee may have been under external pressures that affected his decision-making on the field.
He wrote:
“— gave cheap fouls to Morocco
— gave Nigerian players (Calvin Bassey) unnecessary yellow
— never gave Morocco players a yellow
— didn’t allow the game to freely flow
— was under immense pressure
— penalty or not Daniel Laryea had a 4/10 game
— AFCON is rigged for host nations to win!
I’m a Ghanaian and also a Ga buh let’s call a spade a spade…that performance from Daniel Laryea felt and looked like he was told what to do on the field before he stepped out. He let Ghana down!”
Bongo Ideas’ post quickly went viral, drawing attention from football fans across Africa and sparking a heated online debate about refereeing standards, fairness, and the influence of host nations in continental tournaments. Many users engaged with the post, weighing in on whether Laryea’s performance was genuinely biased or simply the result of the intense pressure inherent in such a high-stakes match.
Nigerians react online
The post generated widespread reactions, with many Nigerians sharing their perspectives on the referee’s conduct and the overall outcome of the match. Opinions ranged from defending the referee to praising Morocco’s performance and investments as hosts.
Gold wrote: “I’m a Nigerian but It’s football and the host Nation deserves to get to the finals, Morocco has invested a lot, if it’s easy to be a Host Nation Other African Countries should step and do better.
“Did you see world class stadiums they have?. I don’t know how CAF managed to buy the ref or however it was done, kudos to Morocco they fought hard.”
Rahman wrote: “They should never blame the referee for any reason… Playing 90min + Injury time + 30min extra time with only 2 shots on target…. Do they want the Referee to play the penalty for them?…👆😂😂😂”
More divided opinions
Other commenters dismissed claims of bias and urged Nigerians to accept the result as part of the unpredictability and competitive nature of football tournaments.
BestBoi wrote: “Masa no blame referee, Make Nigeria accept defeat and move on 😂😂😂”
Agulu said: “Who can a Ghanaian even officiate a game in which Nigeria is involved? Definitely obvious.”
Stanley added: “Sometimes you no dey make sense one bit but we dey manage am. You refer to an extra time plus penalty shootout match as rigged?”
The debate continues online, with football fans across Africa sharply divided over the referee’s performance, the fairness of officiating in high-profile matches, and the potential influence of host nations in major tournaments. Many have called for clearer standards, more transparency, and better accountability for referees to prevent such controversies in future AFCON editions.