The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dismissed its Head of Refereeing, Désiré Noumandiez Doué, following Morocco’s formal protest over officiating in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final.
The controversy erupted after Nigeria’s dramatic 3–2 comeback victory over host nation Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on July 26, 2025.
Morocco had taken a two-goal lead before Nigeria rallied back, with Jennifer Echegini scoring the decisive winner in the 88th minute.
Morocco accused match officials of making critical errors—most notably awarding a penalty to Nigeria and later reversing a penalty decision in Morocco’s favor using VAR.
The match was officiated by Namibia’s Antsino Twanyanyukwa, with assistants from Rwanda and Senegal. Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga handled the VAR.
Fallout and Reactions
Although Doué was not on the pitch, he was responsible for appointing and overseeing match officials.
His removal is widely seen as CAF’s attempt to manage the backlash and restore faith in the refereeing system. Doué had served as CAF’s refereeing director since 2022.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) submitted a video dossier to CAF, highlighting what they described as “glaring mistakes”.
Morocco’s head coach Jorge Vilda told ESPN: “We saw images that showed clear contact, but the referee overturned her own call. It impacted our players psychologically. It was a massive blow.”
An FRMF official also alleged that the VAR team deliberately withheld footage that could have supported Morocco’s penalty claim. “VAR exists to correct mistakes, not create them,” the official said.
On the other hand, Nigerian defender Oluwatosin Demehin expressed relief that VAR overturned the penalty against her. “I was scared, but deep down I knew it wasn’t a penalty,” she told BoldSports. “The ball touched my hand, yes, but the way I was positioned, it wasn’t unnatural.”
CAF has not yet announced a replacement for Doué. However, the incident has sparked wider conversations about the standard of refereeing across the continent, especially in high-stakes fixtures.
Critics point to similar controversies in past tournaments, including Nigeria’s semifinal loss to Morocco at WAFCON 2022, where the Super Falcons received two red cards.
This shake-up may serve as a warning to officials and a call for greater transparency and professionalism in African football. But the larger concern remains—will CAF truly fix its officiating flaws, or is this just damage control?
Study the footage well. Do you think Morocco deserved a penalty against Nigeria, or was the referee right in reversing her initial penalty award? Let’s debate this issue here once and for all.Rate, Like 👍, Comment💬, share this article, Follow us on our social media handles, and Submit your own story to get featured and earn rewards!
