- Morocco’s head coach Walid Regragui has fired back at claims that they are being favoured at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
- Morocco knocked out Cameroon to qualify for the semi-finals, but their opponents felt hard done by some officiating decisions
- Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo wasn’t awarded a penalty despite replays showing he might have been clipped inside the area
Morocco has been rocked by claims of referee favouritism at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Source: UGC
The Atlas Lions qualified for the semi-finals for the first time in 28 years after they beat Cameroon 2-0 on Friday, January 9.
Goals from Brahim Diaz and Ismail Saibari on either side of the half were enough for the North Africans to sail through at the expense of the five-time champions.
Was Morocco favoured against Cameroon?
The game was, however, dogged by controversy after Cameroon’s penalty appeals were denied by referee Dahane Beida.
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Bryan Mbeumo was seemingly clipped by Adam Masina, but the foul went unchecked. The Indomitable Lions also had elbow fouls that weren’t given.
“During the match, I felt that he had touched me. After the match, they showed me the footage again, and it’s very obvious. After this match, I don’t know if it’s only about that,” said Mbeumo to BeIN Sports.
“I think that if the referee had been able to call the penalty, the match would have taken a different turn, but he didn’t call it. If VAR couldn’t see it, we’re not going to blame ourselves for that because it’s a football match,” added Carlos Baleba.
Morocco coach responds to claims of ref bias at AFCON 2025
Morocco’s head coach, Walid Regragui, has now fired back at the claims that the hosts are being favoured. Regragui brushed off the claims, calling them excuses.
“We deserved our win. When you want to kill your dog, you accuse it of rabies! Cameroon didn’t score a goal, and the referee denied it. We’re the team to beat. As the team to beat, people will try to find all sorts of reasons to say Morocco has an advantage. People want to make it seem like we’re favoured by the referees. We win our matches on the field,” he said via Al Jazeera.
Source: Twitter
Tanzania fume after AFCON 2025 elimination
Morocco were also involved in a dispute in the Round of 16 against Tanzania, where Masina fouled Iddy Nado inside the area in stoppage time, but nothing was given.
“It is very simple, I am not happy with some of the decisions of the referee, but it is part of the game. For me, it’s strange that the referee said there was no penalty, and VAR was not even reviewed. This is odd, but what can I do? It’s over. I cannot complain, and I cannot say anything more than that; it’s over,” said Miguel Gamondi, Tanzania’s head coach.
Tanzania have since been hosted by their President, Samia Suluhu, for a state luncheon after making the Round of 16 for the first time in their history.
The Taifa Stars qualified for the knockout rounds after finishing third in their group.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
